rs"      KU  ts 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 
LOS  ANGELES 


AflT 


THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

OF 

RICHARD   WAGNER 


THE  STORY  OF  BAYREUTH 

AS  TOLD  IN 

THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

OF 

RICHARD  WAGNER 

TRANSLATED    AND    EDITED    BY 

CAROLINE  V.  KERR 

Illustrated  from  Photographs 


BOSTON 
SMALL,  MAYNARD  AND  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  1912 
By  Small,  Maynard  and  Company 

(incorporated) 


Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall 


THE  UNIVERSITY  PRESS,   CAMBRIDGE,  U.S.A. 


MUSIC 
LIBRA    t 

CONTENTS 

Page 

The  Origin  and   Development  of  the 

Bayreuth  Festival  Idea     ....  I 

Bayreuth 17 

Tour  of  Inspection in 

Preliminary  Rehearsals 189 

The  First  Bayreuth  Festival      .     .     .  234 

Ways  and  Means 280 

Parsifal 318 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Richard  Wagner Frontispiece 


The  Festival  Theatre  at  Bayreuth 

Wagner  and  his  Friends 

Dr.  Hans  Richter 

A  sketch  by  Adolph  Menzel  of  Wagner  at  Bayreuth 
Frau  Cosima  Wagner 


opp 


)./. 

86 

(< 

128 

tt 

198 

(< 

236 

<( 

318 

THE    ORIGIN    AND    DEVELOPMENT 

OF   THE 
BAYREUTH    FESTIVAL    IDEA 

J2.  £    V   2   7 

In  order  to  be  able  to  see  the  life  work  of 
Richard  Wagner  in  its  true  perspective  it  is 
necessary  always  to  keep  in  mind  Bayreuth, 
where  the  spirit  of  the  great  composer  is  ever 
revived  by  fresh  artistic  deeds. 

"  Richard  Wagner  in  Bayreuth  "  —  the  mas- 
ter and  his  life  work  —  is  the  only  proper  and 
comprehensive  formula  by  which  to  measure  the 
events  which  took  place  here. 

Richard  Wagner  is  an  art  phenomenon  which 
it  would  be  as  difficult  to  explain  away  as  a 
Beethoven,  a  Goethe,  or  a  Schiller. 

It  is  to  the  latter  that  he  is  the  most  clearly 

related;    he  is  the  musical  counterpart  of  the 

'  greatest  German  of  them  all,"  whose  art,  like 

Wagner's,  sent  its  roots  down  deep  into  German 

national  feeling  and  character. 


THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

It  was  this  intense  longing  to  "  nationalise  " 
his  art  which  gave  Wagner  the  incomparable 
energy  necessary  for  creating  a  home  for  his 
life  work,  where  it  would  live  and  thrive  in  its 
essential  purity. 

Bayreuth,  then,  is  not  only  the  little  Bavarian 
city  which  furnished  a  local  habitation  and  a 
name  for  the  Wagnerian  music  drama,  but  it  is 
also  the  embodiment  of  an  idea  which  reaches 
back  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  in  the 
life  of  the  composer. 

As  early  as  1848,  during  his  official  connection 
with  the  Royal  Opera  in  Dresden,  Wagner  wrote 
a  feuilleton  on  a  "  Project  for  the  Organisation 
of  a  German  National  Theatre,"  in  which  he 
made  a  plea  for  fewer  performances,  but  these 
to  be  of  a  superior  quality,  and  he  gave  excel- 
lent and  practical  advice  for  the  realisation  of 
such  a  project. 

He  breaks  a  lance  for  the  same  idea  in  his 
treatise  on  "The  Theatre  in  Zurich"  (1851), 
"The    Vienna    Royal    Opera"    (1863),    and    a 


BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL  IDEA  3 

"German  National  School  of  Music"  (1863), 
which  he  hoped  to  be  able  to  found  in  Munich. 

The  real  germ  of  the  idea,  however,  which  was 
to  crystallise  eventually  into  the  Bayreuth  Fes- 
tival of  1876,  is  indissolubly  connected  with  the 
creation  of  the  heroic  tetralogy  "  Ring  of  the 
Nibelung." 

To  his  friend,  Friedrich  Heine,  he  wrote,  in 
1850,  the  half-jesting,  half-prophetic  lines: 

"  I  am  now  thinking  of  writing  the  music  to 
'  Siegfried.'  In  order  to  be  able  to  produce  it 
properly  some  day,  I  am  cherishing  all  sorts  of 
bold  and  unusual  plans,  for  the  realisation  of 
which  nothing  further  is  necessary  than  that  some 
rich  old  uncle  or  other  should  take  it  into  his 
head  to  die." 

Writing  in  a  more  serious  strain  to  Uhlig,  he 
amplifies  the  idea,  and  presents  its  details  so 
clearly  as  to  leave  no  room  for  doubt  as  to  the 
powerful  hold  it  has  taken  upon  his  heart  and 
mind.  The  tempting  sum  of  five  hundred  thalers 
had,  at  the  instigation  of  Franz  Liszt,  been  of- 


4  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

fered  for  his  "  Siegfried  "  by  the  ducal  theatre 
at  Weimar.     Referring  to  this,  he  writes: 

"  I  should  like  to  send  '  Siegfried '  into  the 
world  in  a  different  fashion  from  that  which 
would  be  possible  to  the  good  people  of  Weimar. 
With  this  in  mind,  I  am  occupied  with  plans  which 
appear  chimerical  at  the  first  glance,  and  yet  it 
is  this  alone  which  gives  me  courage  to  finish 
1  Siegfried.'  In  order  to  carry  into  execution  my 
plans  in  regard  to  the  best,  the  most  important 
and  significant  work  which  I  am  able  to  produce 
under  any  circumstances,  —  in  short  to  accom- 
plish the  conscious  mission  of  my  life,  —  would 
mean  a  matter  of  ten  thousand  thalers. 

"If  I  could  command  such  a  sum,  I  should 
proceed  as  follows: 

"  Here,  in  Zurich,  where  I  now  chance  to  be, 
and  where  many  conditions  are  far  from  un- 
favourable, I  should  erect  a  rough  theatre  of 
planks  and  beams,  according  to  my  own  plans, 
in  a  beautiful  meadow  near  the  city,  and  furnish 
it  merely  with  the  scenery  and  machinery  neces- 


BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL  IDEA  5 

sary  for  '  Siegfried.'  Then  I  would  select  the 
best  available  artists  and  invite  them  to  come  to 
Zurich.  I  should  go  about  securing  my  orchestra 
in  the  same  way.  At  the  New  Year  a  notifica- 
tion of  the  event  would  be  made  through  the 
leading  newspapers  of  Germany  to  all  friends  of 
the  musical  drama,  with  an  invitation  to  be  pres- 
ent at  the  proposed  musical  Festival;  anyone 
giving  due  notice  and  coming  to  Zurich  for  the 
purpose  would  be  assured  of  admission,  gratis  of 
course,  as  would  be  all  admissions. 

"  The  invitation  would  be  further  extended  to 
the  young  people  of  Zurich,  the  University  stu- 
dents, and  members  of  the  various  choral  unions. 

"  When  everything  was  in  order,  I  should  give 
three  performances  of  '  Siegfried  '  in  the  course 
of  a  week;  after  the  third,  the  theatre  would  be 
pulled  down  and  the  score  burned. 

"  To  those  people  who  had  been  pleased  with 
the  thing,  I  should  say,  4  Now  let  me  see  you  do 
the  same ! ' 

"  If,  however,  they  wished  to  hear  something 


6  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

more  from  my  pen,  I  should  say,  '  You  furnish 
the  money ! ' 

'  Well,  do  I  seem  quite  mad  to  you !  It  may 
be,  but  I  assure  you  that  to  be  able  to  do  this  is 
the  end  and  aim  of  my  life,  and  the  only  prospect 
which  could  tempt  me  to  commence  a  new  work 
of  art. 

1  So  now !  get  me  ten  thousand  thalers !  That 
is  all  I  ask  of  you!  " 

Rather  than  interfere  with  the  realisation  of 
this  as  yet  visionary  plan  for  a  monumental  per- 
formance of  the  complete  work,  Franz  Liszt 
magnanimously  relinquished  his  idea  of  stand- 
ing sponsor  to  the  "  Siegfried "  music  drama, 
as  he  had  for  "  Lohengrin  "  in  1850,  although 
the  first  performance  of  the  work  had  virtually 
been  promised  him  by  a  letter  written  by  Wagner 
in   1X5 2,  in  which  he  said: 

'  J  can  only  imagine  my  audience  as  being 
composed  of  friends  who  have  assembled  in  some 
place  for  the  purpose  of  becoming  acquainted  with 
my  works  —  preferably,  in  some  beautiful  retreat 


BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL   IDEA  7 

far  from  the  smoke  and  industrial  odours  of  city 
civilisation;  as  such  a  retreat,  I  should  at  the 
most  consider  Weimar,  but  certainly  no  larger 
city."  .  .  . 

The  following  prefatory  remarks  appeared  in 
connection  with  the  first  edition  of  the  drama 
of  the  "  Ring  of  the  Nibelung,"  which  appeared 
in  1862: 

!  With  me  the  chief  thing  is  to  imagine  such 
a  performance  as  entirely  free  from  the  influence 
of  the  repertory  system  in  vogue  in  our  perma- 
nent theatres.  Accordingly,  I  have  in  mind  one 
of  the  smaller  German  cities,  favourably  located 
and  adapted  to  the  entertainment  of  distinguished 
guests,  and  particularly  a  city  in  which  there 
would  be  no  collision  with  a  larger  permanent 
theatre,  and  where,  consequently,  a  strictly  metro- 
politan theatrical  public  with  its  well-known  cus- 
toms would  not  present  itself.  Here  a  provi- 
sionary  theatre  would  be  erected,  as  simple  as 
possible,  perhaps  only  of  wood,  and  with  the  in- 
terior  only   designed    for   artistic   purposes.      I 


8  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

should  confer  with  an  experienced  and  intelligent 
architect  as  to  a  plan  for  such  a  house,  with  ample 
theatrical  arrangements  of  the  seats,  and  the  de- 
cided advantage  of  an  invisible  orchestra.  Here 
then,  in  the  early  spring  months,  the  leading  dra- 
matic singers,  chosen  from  the  ensemble  of  the 
German  opera  houses,  would  be  assembled,  in 
order  to  study  the  various  parts  of  my  stage  work, 
entirely  uninterrupted  by  any  other  claims  upon 
their  artistic  activity. 

"  On  the  days  appointed  for  the  performance 
—  of  which  I  have  in  mind  three  in  all  —  the 
German  public  would  be  invited  to  be  present,  as 
these  performances,  like  those  of  our  large  music 
festivals,  are  to  be  made  accessible,  not  only  to 
the  partial  public  of  any  one  city,  but  to  all  friends 
of  art,  far  and  near. 

"  A  complete  performance  of  the  dramatic  poem 
in  question  would  take  place  in  midsummer  —  on 
a  fore-evening  '  Das  Rheingold,'  and  on  the  three 
following  evenings  the  chief  dramas  '  Die  Wal- 
kiire,'  '  Siegfried,'  and  '  Gotterdammerung. 


>  >> 


BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL  IDEA  9 

After  discussing  at  length,  the  advantages 
which  would  accrue  to  the  artists  by  "  concen- 
trating all  their  intellectual  powers  upon  one 
style  and  one  task,"  Wagner  takes  up  the  ques- 
tion of  the  invisible  orchestra: 

"  To  complete  the  impression  of  such  a  per- 
formance, I  should  lay  great  stress  upon  an  in- 
visible orchestra,  which  it  would  be  possible  to 
effect  by  the  architectural  illusion  of  an  amphi- 
theatrical  arrangement  of  the  auditorium. 

"  The  importance  of  this  will  be  clear  to  anyone 
who  attends  our  present  operatic  performances 
for  the  purpose  of  gaining  any  genuine  impres- 
sion of  the  dramatic  art  work,  and  finds  himself 
made  the  involuntary  witness  of  the  technical 
evolutions  caused  by  the  unavoidable  view  of  the 
mechanical  movements  made  by  the  musicians 
and  their  leader.  These  should  be  as  carefully 
concealed  as  the  wires,  roped  canvas,  and  boards 
of  the  stage  machinery,  the  sight  of  which,  as 
everyone  knows,  creates  a  most  disturbing  impres- 
sion and  one  calculated  to  destroy  all  illusions. 


io  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

"  After  having  experienced  what  a  pure,  ethe- 
realised  tone  the  orchestra  gains  by  being  heard 
through  an  acoustic  sounding-board  which  has 
the  effect  of  eliminating  all  the  indispensable  but 
non-musical  sounds  which  the  instrumentalist  is 
obliged  to  make  in  producing  the  tone ;  and  after 
having  realised  the  advantageous  position  in 
which  the  singer  is  placed  to  his  listeners,  by 
being  able  to  stand,  as  it  were,  directly  before 
them  —  no  one  could  arrive  at  other  than  a 
favourable  conclusion  as  to  the  effectiveness  of 
my  plan  for  an  acoustic-architectural  arrange- 
ment." .  .  . 

In  all  the  excerpts  it  is  easy  to  trace  the 
germinative  idea  of  the  Bayreuth  Festival  in  its 
evolution  and  eventual  characteristics. 

There  we  have  a  special  festival  stage,  erected 
far  from  the  noise  and  bustle  of  the  metropolis, 
an  invisible  orchestra,  a  band  of  chosen  artists,  — 
fully  in  sympathy  with  the  task  intrusted  to  them, 
—  an  audience  assembled  for  the  sake  of  the  art 
work,  a  summer  season,  and  a  biennial  repetition. 


BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL  IDEA  n 

Wagner  projected  these  ideas  with  that  fine 
free  breadth  which  characterises  the  mirid  of 
genius,  but  the  "  three  full  years  "  which  he  al- 
lowed himself  for  the  completion  of  his  heroic 
musical  task  - —  "  Ring  of  the  Nibelung  "  —  be- 
came, in  reality,  a  quarter  of  a  century  filled 
with  struggles  and  disappointments,  baffling  to 
anyone  but  a  reformer  fighting  for  an  idea 
which  embodied  his  "  conscious  mission  in  life." 

Having  seen  how  the  idea  of  a  special  festival 
for  the  correct  and  adequate  performance  of  his 
tetralogy  had  become  an  obsession  with  Wagner, 
we  are  now  to  follow  it  through  its  evolution  and 
ultimate  realisation  in  the  so-called  "  Bayreuth 
Letters." 

This  correspondence,  addressed  to  four  of  his 
most  faithful  henchmen,  furnishes  a  clear  and 
sustained  story  of  the  five  years  preceding  the 
first  Bayreuth  Festival,  told  in  the  authentic 
words  of  its  creator. 

Shortly  before  his  death  in  Venice  (February 


12  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

13,  1883)  Wagner  wrote  to  Friedrich  Feustel, 
one  of  the  loyal  fellow  workers  mentioned  above, 
a  few  lines  which  might  aptly  serve  as  a  motto 
for  this  book: 

"  When  I  take  a  general  survey  of  the  attitude 
of  my  own  age  to  me  during  the  past  ten  years, 
I  must  confess  that  the  balance  of  my  gratitude 
falls  on  the  side  of  the  friends  I  made  during 
that  time,  and  I  herewith  declare  that,  next  to 
my  family,  the  dearest  of  all  things  to  me  is 
Bayreuth." 

In  another  place  he  writes: 

"  I  should  have  given  up  the  entire  undertak- 
ing had  I  given  up  Bayreuth.  So  far  as  my 
great  Festival  Play  has  as  yet  attracted  atten- 
tion, it  is  inseparably  associated  with  the  name 
of  Bayreuth." 

Of  the  friends  whose  services  are  perpetuated 
in  the  "  Bayreuth  Letters,"  four  take  a  con- 
spicuous position  by  reason  of  their  personal  ac- 
tivity in  the  various  preparatory  phases  of  the 
epoch-making   Festival.    These    four    helpers  — 


BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL  IDEA  13 

Friedrich  Feustel,  Theodor  Muncker,  Emil 
Heckel,  and  Carl  Brandt  —  were  German  to  the 
core,  and  especially  well  suited  to  fight  for  the 
realisation  of  the  great  German  art  work  of  the 
future. 

Glasenapp  has  given  us  admirable  pen  por- 
traits of  these  four  men  in  his  "  Life  of  Richard 
Wagner,"  and  from  this  I  quote  in  free 
translation : 

"  Feustel  was  actively  occupied  with  political 
matters  connected  both  with  the  German  Empire 
and  his  own  city  of  Bayreuth,  and  enjoyed  a 
position  of  great  confidence  among  his  fellow 
citizens.  His  sense  of  justice,  his  keenness  of 
vision,  and  his  financial  instincts,  which  made 
him  so  valuable  a  citizen,  also  fitted  him  excep- 
tionally for  effective  work  in  connection  with  the 
great  art  reformation  planned  by  Wagner.  His 
entire  strength,  business  ability,  untiring  energy, 
and  knowledge  of  worldly  affairs  were  placed  at 
the  service  of  the  Bayreuth  Idea.  .  .  . 

"  He  was  the  propelling  personality;   for  when 


i4  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Muncker  held  back  and  cautioned  economy,  Feu- 
stel  pushed  aggressively  forward.  He  was  not 
at  all  disposed  to  sit  with  folded  hands  and  await 
the  development  of  events,  but  to  attack  and  over- 
come the  obstacles  which  presented  themselves. 

"  He  was  always  en  route,  and  could  in  this 
way   do   much    for   the   cause;   the   manner   in 
which  he  was  given  to  eliminating  space  pro- 
voked Wagner  to  call  him  familiarly  '  The  Fly- 
ing Dutchman  of  Bayreuth.'  " 

In  summing  up  the  characteristics  of  Theodor 
Muncker,  the  burgomaster  of  Bayreuth,  Glase- 
napp  makes  use  of  the  following  tribute,  in  which 
a  son  does  honour  to  a  father's  memory: 

"  There  was  certainly  much  in  Wagner's 
thoughts  and  work  which  lay  beyond  my  father's 
intellectual  sphere.  He  was  lacking  in  the  formal 
philosophical  schooling  and  the  scientific  knowl- 
edge necessary  for  grasping  clearly  the  magni- 
tude of  the  individual  Wagnerian  works.  But 
that  which  he  could  not  analyse  with  logical 
acumen  he  accepted  in  a  purely  naive  sense,  and 


BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL  IDEA  15 

viewed  them  in  their  entirety  as  they  mirrored 
themselves  in  the  bottom  of  his  soul.  With  the 
heart,  more  than  with  the  head,  he  comprehended 
Wagner  the  artist  and  philosophic  thinker,  and 
the  most  devoted  and  reverential  love  bound  him 
to  Wagner  the  man.  He  took  a  personal  share 
in  everything  that  distressed  or  delighted  Wag- 
ner, and  abusive  attacks  upon  the  Master  and 
his  family  aroused  his  indignation  as  keenly  as 
if  they  had  been  directed  against  himself.  It 
was  for  him  an  absolute  and  heartfelt  necessity 
to  share  the  work  which  piled  up  about  Wagner, 
and  to  help  remove  the  obstacles  which  threat- 
ened to  bar  his  pathway  towards  the  goal." 

Emil  Heckel  of  Mannheim  was  the  founder 
of  the  first  Wagner  Society,  and  was  ever  an 
active  outside  agitator  and  organiser.  To  him 
was  intrusted  the  chief  part  of  the  business 
connected  with  the  organising  and  developing  of 
a  Society  of  Patrons,  by  which  it  was  hoped 
that  the  great  undertaking  could  be  effectively 
financed. 


1 6  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Carl  Brandt  was  the  famous  stage  machinist 
of  Darmstadt,  whose  task  went  far  beyond  that 
of  the  specific  province  of  scenic  machinery  to 
include  everything  that  had  to  do  with  creating 
a  suitable  home  for  the  art  work  of  the  future. 

Wagner's  appreciation  of  his  services  found 
frequent  expression.  In  one  of  his  earlier  let- 
ters to  Brandt  he  writes: 

"  You  understand  perfectly  what  is  at  stake, 
and  this  you  would  not  be  able  to  do  did  you 
not  possess  the  proper  imagination  and  genuine 
inventiveness." 

And  again: 

"Without  you  no  Nibelung,  you  know  that!' 


BAYREUTH 

May,  1871-May,  1872 

How  did  Wagner,  in  the  pursuit  of  his  plans 
for  the  realisation  of  his  Festival  Idea,  happen 
to  decide  upon  the  quiet  old  Bavarian  town  of 
Bayreuth  ? 

The  answer  to  this  question  he  gives  in  a  letter 
to  Friedrich  Feustel: 

"  The  place  must  not  be  a  large  city  with  a 
permanent  theatre,  nor  one  of  the  larger  summer 
resorts,  where  during  the  season  an  absolutely 
undesirable  public  would  offer  itself;  it  must  be 
centrally  located  in  Germany,  and  moreover  be 
a  Bavarian  city,  as  I  also  intend  to  take  up  my 
permanent  residence  in  the  place,  and  consider 
that  I  could  do  this  only  in  Bavaria,  if  I  hope 
to  enjoy  the  continued  patronage  of  the  King  of 
Bavaria.     Apart  from  these  considerations,  this 


18  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

pleasant  old  city,  with  its  surroundings,  made 
an  indelible  impression  upon  me  years  ago,  and 
the  fact  that  I  am  an  utter  stranger  to  the  citi- 
zens of  Bayreuth  gives  me  no  cause  for  alarm." 

In  the  spring  of  1871  he  revisited  the  city  un- 
officially, to  confirm  the  "  indelible  impressions ' 
of  his  early  youth,  and  again  fell  under  the  charm 
of  the  quaint  old  town  nestling  among  the  hills 
of  central  Germany  and  surrounded  by  the  nim- 
bus of  a  not  uninteresting  history. 

It  was  during  this  incognito  visit  that  Wagner 
suddenly  fell  ill,  and  the  leading  physician  of  the 
place  was  called  in  by  the  host  of  the  inn  "  Die 
Sonne  "  to  see  a  patient  by  the  name  of  Richard 
Wagner.  After  performing  his  professional 
duties  the  physician  entered  into  a  conversation 
with  his  patient,  during  the  course  of  which  the 
identity  of  the  latter  was  revealed. 

"  Who  could  have  dreamed  of  such  a  thing 
and  foretold  to  me  yesterday  that  to-day  I  was 
to  make  the  acquaintance  of  the  world-famous 
master!  " 


BAYREUTH  19 

Out  of  this  casual  acquaintance,  the  very  first 
which  Wagner  had  made  in  Bayreuth,  grew  a 
warm  personal  friendship,  and  Dr.  Carl  Land- 
graf  became  not  only  the  family  physician  but 
the  faithful  house  friend,  in  whose  charge  the 
little  family  was  always  left  when  Wagner  and 
his  wife  were  away  on  the  repeated  tours  which 
were  to  give  an  impetus  to  the  Bayreuth  fund. 

In  addition  to  his  professional  duties  at  Wahn- 
fried,  this  altruistic  man  was  the  unofficial  but 
uncompensated  physician  of  the  artistic  person- 
nel of  the  Festival,  and  therefore  it  is  quite 
fitting  that  the  first  letter  of  the  "  Bayreuth  " 
collection  should  be  addressed  to  Dr.  Carl 
Landgraf. 

To  Dr.  Carl  Landgraf 

(Leipzig,  May  11,  1871.) 
Most  esteemed  Sir! 

I  am  not  coming  back  to  Bayreuth  this  time, 
as  I  promised  you,  and  you  will  not  see  me  again 
until  late  in  the  summer.  I  make  this  announce- 
ment, because  I  should  not  like  you  to  consider 


20  THE   BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

me  ungrateful.  I  herewith  acknowledge  myself 
as  your  debtor ;  your  draught  did  me  excellent 
service. 

As  for  the  rest,  it  is  now  decided  that  my  great 
Stage  Festival  Play  shall  take  place  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1873  in  Bayreuth,  at  which  time  I  also 
intend  to  take  up  my  permanent  residence  in 
your  city.  In  order  that  you,  of  whose  friendly 
good-will  I  am  thoroughly  convinced,  may  be  in 
a  position  to  contradict  all  false  reports  as  to 
my  enterprise,  I  take  pleasure  in  informing  you 
that  while  it  is  true  that  His  Majesty,  the  King 
of  Bavaria,  has  granted  his  permission  for  such 
an  undertaking,  and  will  give  considerable  finan- 
cial support  to  the  same,  it  will  nevertheless  re- 
main my  personal  affair,  and  can  only  be  carried 
to  a  successful  issue  by  a  far-reaching  coalition 
of  the  friends  of  my  art.  Consequently,  just  as 
any  other  person  who  starts  out  on  an  enter- 
prise, I  shall  have  to  create  friendly  relations 
with  the  city  authorities  of  Bayreuth;  but  I 
believe    1    am    justified    in    counting   upon    their 


B AYREUTH  2 1 

ready  co-operation,  when  the  significance  and 
prominence  into  which  the  city  will  thereby  be 
brought  is  taken   into  consideration. 

Late  in  the  summer  I  shall  arrange  a  meeting 
in  Bayreuth,  with  the  necessary  competent  per- 
sons, in  order  to  choose  and  purchase  the  site 
upon  which  to  erect  my  Festival  Theatre,  work 
upon  which  is  to  be  commenced  immediately.  At 
the  same  time  I  shall  decide  upon  a  building  site 
for  my  own  residence,  and  I  should  be  greatly 
obliged  to  you  if  at  your  leisure  you  could  assist 
me  in  finding  something  desirable.  I  had  already 
discussed  a  pretty  piece  of  meadow-land  border- 
ing on  the  castle  park  with  the  steward  of  the 
castle;  this  lot,  however,  is  entirely  lacking  in 
a  few  old  trees.  I  should  be  pleased  if  you  could 
find  out  something  about  this  for  me!  In  the 
hope  of  being  able  to  greet  you  personally  in  a 
few  months,  I  remain,  with  the  greatest  esteem, 
Yours  most  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

(Lucerne.     Triebschen.) 


22  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Lucerne,  May  19,  1871.) 
Honoured  Sir! 

Deeply  grateful  for  the  kindnesses  you  have 
shown  me,  I  welcome,  first  of  all,  your  decision, 
which  I  have  just  learned,  of  taking  an  active 
part  in  the  realisation  of  our  great  undertaking. 
I  recognise  fully  the  value  of  your  decision,  and 
beg  you  to  apply  to  Herr  K(arl)  Tausig,  35, 
Dessauer  str  :  Berlin,  for  further  information  in 
the  matter. 

He  has  assumed  the  temporary  management 
until  a  Committee  of  Patrons  can  be  organised, 
and  will  give  you  exact  information  as  to  the 
manner  in  which  your  participation  can  be  made 
most  effective. 

With  the  kindest  greetings, 

Yours  sincerely, 

Richard  Wagner. 

In  April,  1871,  Wagner  had  sent  out  commu- 
nication and   appeal   to   the   friends   of  his   art 


BAYREUTH  23 

"  About  the  Performance  of  his  Stage  Festival 
Play,  '  Ring  of  the  Nibelung,'  "  in  which  the 
thoughts  contained  in  the  preface  to  the  text  of 
the  drama  were  once  more  emphasised. 

The  first  thing  was  to  organise  a  society  of 
friends  and  patrons  of  the  great  undertaking, 
and  Karl  Tausig  (Berlin),  Emil  Heckel  (Mann- 
heim), and  Baroness  Marie  von  Schleinitz  (now 
Countess  von  Wolkenstein)  assumed  the  task  of 
drawing  up  a  plan  for  a  Society  of  Patrons,  and 
of  making  the  effort  to  secure  the  necessary 
number  of  subscribers. 

The  entire  cost  of  the  Festival  was  estima- 
ted at  three  hundred  thousand  thalers  (about 
$225,000)  —  a  sum  which  was  to  be  raised  by 
disposing  of  one  thousand  certificates  of  member- 
ship at  three  hundred  thalers  each.  The  holder 
of  such  a  certificate  was  entitled  to  a  place  for 
all  the  performances,  and  it  was  also  possible 
for  three  persons  to  participate  in  one  of  these 
certificates. 

Karl  Tausig,  who  was  the  life  and  soul  of  the 


24  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

project,  and  who  also  cherished  the  idea  of  or- 
ganising an  orchestra  to  give  special  concerts 
for  the  cause,  and  later  to  form  the  nucleus  of 
the  Festival  orchestra,  died  at  the  early  age  of 
thirty. 

The  burden  of  the  work  then  fell  upon  Emil 
Heckel,  who  also  conceived  the  idea  of  calling 
into  existence  the  Wagner  Societies,  by  which 
persons  of  unlimited  means  would  be  given  an 
opportunity  of  taking  part  in  the  work. 

The  first  Wagner  Society  was  organised  in 
Mannheim  in  1871,  the  members  paying  annual 
dues  of  five  florins,  in  return  for  which  they 
received  a  numbered  ticket.  Thirty-five  of  these 
tickets  bought  a  Patron's  Certificate,  the  posses- 
sion of  which  was  decided  by  lot,  and  the  remain- 
ing thirty-four  holders  of  tickets  had  to  console 
themselves  with  the  consciousness  of  having  con- 
tributed to  a  worthy  cause. 

Similar  societies  were  organised  in  Vienna, 
Munich,  and  Leipzig,  and  by  April,  1874,  twenty- 
five   cities  had   leagued   themselves   together   to 


BAYREUTH  25 

make  possible  the  Bayreuth  enterprise.  Not  only 
German  but  foreign  cities  rallied  to  Wagner's 
support;  among  them,  London,  Petersburgh, 
Brussels,  and  New  York.1 

To  Carl  Brandt 

(Lucerne,  August  20,  1871.) 
My  dear  Co-worker! 

At  this  moment  I  have  no  more  direct  cause 
for  writing  you  than  the  one  arising  out  of  the 
very  pleasant  remembrance  of  our  last  meeting. 

I  feel  impelled  to  repeat  more  clearly  upon 
paper  what  I  said  to  you  verbally  when  we  parted. 
It  is  truly  a  great  joy  for  me  to  have  found  you ! 
A  great  share  of  the  success  of  my  undertaking 
is  now  assured  by  your  co-operation.  I  was 
genuinely  encouraged  to  find  you  so  closely  ac- 
quainted with  my  intentions.  You  understand 
perfectly  what  is  at  stake,  and  this  you  would 
not  be  able  to  do  did  you  not  possess  the  neces- 
sary imagination  and  genuine  inventiveness  re- 

1  From  Henry  T.  Finck's  <;  Wagner  and  his  Works,"  Vol.  II. 


26  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

quired  here.  Certain  directions  which  you  speci- 
fied to  the  architect  really  surprised  me;  the  ex- 
tension of  the  proscenium  was  an  inspiration  on 
your  part,  which  crowns  the  entire  idea  of  the 
interior  of  the  theatre. 

As  I  thought  over  all  this  again  to-day,  it 
became  an  absolute  necessity  to  express  to  you 
the  great  confidence  you  have  inspired,  as  well 
as  my  genuine  joy  at  having  found  you.  May 
you  receive  this  in  an  equally  friendly  spirit! 

Within  the  next  few  days  I  expect  definite 
news  as  to  the  outside  participation  in  my 
undertaking. 

In  the  meantime  I  have  received  deputies  from 
the  "  Wagner  Societies,"  who  have  reported 
quite  encouraging  news.  Without  doubt  every- 
thing will  work  out  all  right,  and  you  also,  es- 
teemed friend,  will  find  your  reward  in  a  proper 
appreciation. 

With  cordial  greetings, 

Yours  sincerely, 

Richard  Wagner. 


BAYREUTH  27 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Lucerne,  October  1,  1871.) 
Honoured  Sir! 

Pardon  the  delay  in  my  answer!  I  have  been 
occupied  of  late  in  a  lively  correspondence  in 
regard  to  the  most  immediate  steps  necessary  for 
the  commencement  of  my  undertaking.  This  will 
suffer  a  decided  backset  if  we  are  not  able  to 
begin  the  preliminary  work  on  the  building  of 
the  theatre  this  autumn.  It  is  very  important 
to  ascertain  the  present  amount  of  the  contribu- 
tions, and  to  decide  accordingly  as  to  whether 
the  necessary  contracts  can  be  given  to  the  archi- 
tects and  machinists;  if  the  time  which  I  have 
set  is  to  be  kept,  the  preliminary  work  must  be 
begun  at  once.  .  .  . 

When  the  circumstances  are  favourable,  I  in- 
tend to  meet  the  architect  and  the  machinist  in 
Bayreuth  the  end  of  October,  to  determine  every- 
thing necessary  for  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone, 
to  which  event  I  intend  to  invite  you,  esteemed  sir, 


2$  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

as  well  as  the  committees  of  the  other  societies. 
In  every  respect  such  a  meeting  (in  connection 
with  which  I  should  address  a  word  to  the  gen- 
eral public)  would  be  advantageous  for  the 
progress  of  the  undertaking,  and  for  this  reason 
I  wish  very  keenly  to  carry  out  my  plans,  even 
if  later  delays  unavoidably  occur.  .  .  . 

With  the  warmest  recognition  of  your  kind 
services  to  me,  and  with  the  request  that  you 
present  my  compliments  to  our  valued  friends 
in  Mannheim,  I  remain 

Yours  respectfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Friedricii  Feustel 

(Lucerne,  November  i,  1871.) 
Honoured  Sir! 

Through   my   dear   nephew,    Clement   Brock- 

haus  of   Leipzig,   the  delightful  assurance  has 

reached  mc  that  you  would  meet  me  half-way  if 

I  approached  you  in  the  not  unimportant  matter 

which  has  already  been  brought  to  your  notice. 


BAYREUTH  29 

As  to  the  undertaking  itself,  I  take  the  liberty 
of  sending  you  under  separate  cover  a  more  de- 
tailed explanation  of  the  same.  My  reasons  for 
choosing  Bayreuth  as  the  place  of  the  execution 
of  my  plans  will  not  be  difficult  to  divine  (even 
without  the  further  particulars  which  I  shall  re- 
serve for  some  future  time)  from  the  de- 
mands which  I  have  made  upon  the  place.  .  .  . 
[Here  follows  paragraph  already  quoted  on 
page  17.] 

With  this  preface,  permit  me  to  make  you  more 
familiar  with  my  affairs. 

In  the  first  place,  there  are  various  not  un- 
important points  upon  which  I  should  like 
information. 

I  take  it  for  granted  that  the  city  of  Bayreuth 
is  in  no  way  to  be  called  upon  in  collecting  the 
funds  for  my  undertaking.  Energetic  friends 
of  my  cause  are  already  employed  in  collecting 
the  necessary  sums,  and  I  already  feel  myself 
justified,  by  their  success,  in  taking  the  necessary 
steps  to   secure  a   site   for   the   erection  of  my 


30  THE   BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

provisionary  theatre,  the  commencement  of 
which,  on  account  of  the  unfavourableness  of 
the  season,  must  be  postponed  until  next  March. 
I  should  esteem  myself  particularly  fortunate 
if,  by  your  kind  permission,  I  could  turn  to  you, 
highly  honoured  sir,  in  the  settlement  of  these 
important  preliminary  questions.  ^/The  first  of 
these  is  the  choice  and  acquisition  of  a  building 
site.  The  chief  thing  to  me  seems  to  be  whether 
the  city  of  Bayreuth,  in  consideration  of  the 
advantages  accruing  to  the  city  from  my  under- 
taking (both  as  regards  her  reputation  as  well 
as  the  increased  intercourse  with  strangers),  is 
in  a  position  to  promise,  or  feels  herself  moved 
to  offer  me,  free  of  charge,  a  piece  of  ground 
for  the  erection  of  my  theatre.  I  will  not  say 
that  my  undertaking  is  absolutely  dependent 
upon  such  support;  but  it  must  be  clear  to  any- 
one that  such  concessions  will  tend  to  establish 
from  the  very  outset  pleasant  relations  between 
the  city  of  Bayreuth  and  my  undertaking.  In 
the  event  that  such  willingness  is  shown,  there 


BAYREUTH  31 

can  be  no  question  of  a  choice  of  place  on  my 
part.  .  ,  . 

I  have  further  to  mention  the  chief  objection 
which  has  been  made  against  Bayreuth  on  the 
part  of  my  patrons,  and  that  is  their  anxiety 
that  sufficient  accommodation  for  the  guests  can- 
not be  found.  It  will  be  necessary  to  insure  sat- 
isfactory entertainment  to  a  personnel  of  two 
hundred  persons  —  in  the  height  of  the  season. 

As  my  experience  furnishes  me  with  no  sug- 
gestion, I  leave  this  point  with  you  for  your 
kind  consideration,  and  should  be  very  much 
pleased  if  you  could  put  me  in  possession  of  in- 
formation which  would  serve  to  quiet  the  anxie- 
ties of  my  patrons.  It  would  also  be  a  comfort 
to  me  to  feel  assured  that  there  would  be  no 
lack  of  workmen  for  the  rapid  erection  of  the 
building,  and  that  we  should  not  find  ourselves 
crippled  by  a  strike.  .  .  . 

I  add  at  once  to  my  report  the  settlement  of 
another  point,  namely,  that  it  will  devolve  upon 
me,  as  was  signified  to  me  in  Munich,  to  secure 


3a  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

the  approval  of  the  city  authorities  for  my  entire 
undertaking. 

It  would  be  well  to  keep  in  mind  the  fact  that 
this  has  nothing  to  do  with  a  money-making 
theatrical  enterprise;  the  performances  will  be 
attended  only  by  invited  guests  and  the  patrons 
of  the  undertaking;  no  one  will  be  allowed  to 
pay  for  admission.  On  the  other  hand,  I  have 
already  provided  for  a  sufficient  number  of  seats 
to  be  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  citizens  of 
Bayreuth  —  these  to  be  distributed  free  of 
charge. 

Having,  I  believe,  informed  you,  highly  hon- 
oured sir,  of  the  chief  points,  which  I  felt  en- 
couraged to  submit  for  your  kind  consideration, 
advice,  and  co-operation,  permit  me  to  beg  the 
favour  of  a  favourable  answer,  as  well  as  to 
assure  you  of  the  great  esteem  with  which  I 
have  the  honour  to  salute  you  as 
Yours  most  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 


BAYREUTH  33 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Lucerne,  November  9,  1871.) 

Most  esteemed  Herr  Heckel! 

Your  suggestion  is  a  most  excellent  one;  if 
such  an  alliance  could  be  formed,  it  would  be 
exactly  what  I  could  wish.  Just  now  the  strength 
of  the  situation  lies  in  the  strong  individual  or- 
ganisations. It  is  the  individual  society  which 
offers  at  present  the  most  effective  support.  The 
Society  "  Wagneriana  "  in  Berlin  recently  de- 
cided to  take  sixty  Patron's  Certificates  and 
guarantees  the  entire  orchestra.  Vienna  prom- 
ises, at  least,  to  prove  herself  most  generous  dur- 
ing the  course  of  the  winter. 

In  Leipzig,  on  the  other  hand,  only  three- 
fourths  of  a  Patrons'  Certificate  has  been  re- 
ported; in  Munich  —  through  the  Society  — 
nothing  has  been  accomplished,  as  far  as  I  know. 

It  is  only  in  Mannheim  that  you  have  proven 
yourselves  active.  None  the  less  I  realise  that 
only  by  means  of  a  big  universal  alliance  can 


34  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

the  undertaking  be  assured  in  a  permanent  and 
successful  sense,  and  therefore  I  consider  your 
suggestions  as  particularly  worthy  of  notice.  .  .  . 

In  Bayreuth  everything  is  going  ahead  in  the 
most  inspiring  manner;  my  wishes  are  being  met 
with  great  seriousness.  I  shall  take  all  the  neces- 
sary steps  in  regard  to  the  building  site  (which 
the  city  presumably  will  present  me)  in  order 
that  work  may  begin  in  March.  .  .  . 

For  the  present  the  most  important  thing 
seems  to  be  to  send  out  a  vigorous  and  sharply 
accentuated  appeal,  according  to  the  plan  which 
you  outlined  for  me.  As  a  result  of  this,  we 
can  then  see  what  has  been  accomplished  by 
next  March,  and  then  an  assembling  of  the  com- 
mittees in  Bayreuth  (for  the  corner-stone  lay- 
ing )  would  have  especial  significance. 

I  hope  you  are  of  my  opinion,  and  will  have 
the  kindness  to  impart  my  ideas  to  Herr  v.  Loen, 
at  the  same  time  giving  him  my  cordial  greetings. 
Respectfully  yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 


BAYREUTH  35 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Lucerne,  November  13,  1871.) 
Esteemed  Sir! 

I  return  at  once  your  outline,  of  which  I  quite 
approve.  May  the  matter  now  take  its  course 
and  the  Germans  show  that  they  at  least  under- 
stand how  to  bestow  the  proper  attention  upon 
such  serious  and  persistent  efforts  for  an  igno- 
miniously  neglected  branch  of  public  art,  and 
yet  one  of  such  unlimited  possibilities  as  this 
to  which  I  am  devoting  my  life.  It  is  encour- 
aging to  meet  with  a  man  of  your  stamp,  Herr 
Heckel ! 

A  great  number  of  copies  of  the  green  pam- 
phlet on  the  performance  of  the  "  Ring  of  the 
Nibelung  "  are  at  your  disposal  for  the  purpose 
of  distribution.  If  you  like,  I  will  send  you 
some. 

In  regard  to  money  matters  I  beg  of  you  to 
keep  in  touch  with  Herr  v.  Loen.  The  banker 
Cohn  has  also  agreed  to  see  that  the  various 


36  THE   BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

sums  are  placed  at  interest  until  they  need  to 
be  used. 

With  expressions  of  my  esteem, 
Yours  respectfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Lucerne,  November  23,  1871.) 
Highly  esteemed  Sir! 

Your  capital  news  was  not  necessary  —  how- 
ever much  it  delighted  me  for  utilitarian  and 
other  reasons  —  to  strengthen  me  in  my  care- 
fully considered  intentions.  I  shall  not  attempt 
to  deny,  however,  that  it  had  something  of  this 
effect.  You  only  confirmed  the  suggesting  of 
my  good  spirit  which  brought  to  my  memory, 
from  my  far-distant  youth,  the  city  of  Bayreuth, 
lying  almost  unknown  and  unnoticed  in  the  centre 
of  Germany,  when  T  was  looking  about  for  a 
spot  of  German  soil  upon  which  I  could  estab- 
lish a  home  for  myself. 

Now  that  we  have  gone  so  far,  offers  from 


BAYREUTH  37 

other  sources  are  beginning  to  reach  me  in  re- 
gard to  my  undertaking.  The  City  Council  of 
Baden-Baden  offers  me  a  building  site  gratis; 
Darmstadt  also  offers  to  build  a  theatre  accord- 
ing to  my  plans  and  place  it  at  my  disposal  dur- 
ing the  summer  months.  I  feel  convinced  that 
I  shall  never  regret  having  refused  these 
offers.  .  .  . 

With  the  most  cordial  and  respectful  greet- 
ings, I  remain 

Yours  sincerely, 

Richard  Wagner. 


To  Carl  Brandt 

(Lucerne,  November  25,  1871.) 
Tell   me,   my   worthy   friend   and   companion, 
what  is  the  matter  with  vou?     You  are  silent 
and  silent,  and  moreover  one  hears  nothing  from 
Berlin  about  you? 

In  the  meantime  I  was  obliged  to  arrive  at 
an  understanding  with  Neumann,  and  it  has  now 

2^  U  ^V  ^ 


3$  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

developed  that  the  building  cannot  be  commenced 
before  the  end  of  March  next  year;  by  the  way, 
he  was  ready  to  vouch  that  you  could  be  ready 
by  that  time. 

In  the  meantime  Bayreuth  has  done  a  great 
deal  —  gratuitous  building  site,  etc.  Baden  also 
made  a  similar  offer.  The  telegraph  wires  were 
congested  in  behalf  of  Darmstadt  —  in  fact,  with 
such  marvellous  things  of  all  sorts;  which  I  could 
only  explain  to  myself  by  the  fact  that  they  pro- 
posed to  make  an  arrangement  with  me  in  order 
to  be  able  to  rebuild  their  theatre  which  was 
burned  down  (!!)     And  still  you  remain  silent! 

May  your  silence  not  signify  that  your  zeal 
for  my  undertaking  has  grown  cold !  .  .  .  With- 
out you  no  Nibelung  —  you  must  know  that! 
Cordial  greetings  from 

Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 


BAYREUTH  39 

To  Carl  Brandt 

(Lucerne,  November  27,  1871.) 
Esteemed  Friend! 

In  reply  to  your  kind  letter  just  received,  I 
inform  you  briefly  of  the  following  facts.  .  .  . 

I  have  long  since  reconciled  myself  to  the  post- 
ponement of  our  performance  until  the  year  1874, 
but  I  do  not  yet  admit  it.  .  .  .  The  Darmstadt 
reports  I  could  have  explained  at  once,  as  you 
did  later.  I  understand  and  appreciate  your 
ideas  perfectly,  as  well  as  your  excellent  inten- 
tions. And  surely  I  shall  soon  convince  you  that 
even  under  the  most  favourable  circumstances  I 
can  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  Darmstadt  the- 
atre. Here  it  is  a  case  of  either  this  —  or  that ! 
Wholly  — or  not  at  all! 

Only  one  thing  I  wish  to  remark:  you  fright- 
ened me  by  the  news  that  you  had  left  the 
Semper  plans  with  the  Grand  Duke.  Do  not 
forget  that  these  are  the  property  of  the  King 
of  Bavaria    (dearly  bought,  and  only   intrusted 


4o  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

to  me  for  the  purpose  of  my  enterprise,  and  to 
which  I  consider  myself  authorised,  in  the  name 
of  the  King  of  Bavaria,  for  use  only  in  a  Bava- 
rian city). 

As,  according  to  repeated  experience,  the 
greatest  possible  unpleasantness  could  arise  from 
this,  I  beg  of  you,  in  whatever  way  seems  to 
you  the  most  advisable,  to  leave  the  Semper 
plans  entirely  out  of  the  question.  Should  the 
Grand  Duke  find  them  to  his  liking,  the  only 
thing  to  do  would  be  to  advise  him  to  apply 
directly  to  Semper.  The  latter  would  then  know 
how  far  he  was  at  liberty  to  make  use  of  his 
own  property  without  trespassing  upon  the  rights 
of  the  King  of  Bavaria.  .  .  . 

With  cordial  greetings, 

Yours, 

RrcHARD  Wagner. 

The  plans  to  which  Wagner  here  refers  were 
those  drawn  up  by  Gottfried  Semper,  at  that 
time  Professor  of  Architecture  at  the  Polytech- 


BAYREUTH  41 

nic  Institute  in  Zurich.  King  Ludwig's  plans 
for  helping  his  favourite  to  the  realisation  of 
his  ideas  in  regard  to  a  performance  of  the 
"  Ring  of  the  Nibelung '  included  the  erec- 
tion of  a  monumental  Festival  Theatre  on  the 
banks  of  the  Isar,  on  the  site  occupied  by  the 
Maximilianeum. 

At  Wagner's  suggestion  Semper  was  sum- 
moned from  Zurich  in  1865  for  a  conference  in 
regard  to  the  projected  theatre,  which  was  to 
cost  three  and  a  half  millions  of  guldens.  But 
before  Semper's  model  arrived  in  Munich,  feel- 
ing against  Wagner  had  reached  such  a  crisis 
that,  in  order  not  to  endanger  the  peace  of  his 
land,  King  Ludwig  was  obliged  to  yield  to  the 
pressure  of  Wagner's  enemies  and  beg  the  com- 
poser to  return  to  his  Swiss  exile,  providing  him, 
however,  with  a  full  year's  salary. 

Frustrated  in  his  plans  for  a  Festival  Theatre, 
the  order  to  Semper  was  countermanded,  and  all 
that  remains  of  the  high-minded  project  of  King 
Ludwig  is  the  model  which  stands  in  the   Xa- 


42  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

tional  Museum  in  Munich,  instead  of  the  monu- 
mental structure  which  was  to  crown  the  heights 
overlooking  the  city. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Munich,  December  12,  1871.) 
Esteemed  Sir! 

I  beg  your  indulgence  when  I  inform  you 
that  I  intend  leaving  here  to-morrow  evening 
(Wednesday)  and  expect  to  arrive  in  Bayreuth 
on  the  early  train.  To  this  information  I  add 
the  request  that  you  will  exert  all  your  influence 
in  making  it  possible  to  settle  all  the  necessary 
business  in  connection  with  the  great  enterprise 
to  which  you  have  pledged  your  active  co-opera- 
tion during  the  time  between  Thursday  and  Sat- 
urday noon.  For  unfortunately  my  time  is  very 
much  occupied.  Thursday  I  expect  to  receive 
Building  Inspector  Neumann  of  Berlin,  as  well 
as  the  Master  Machinist  Carl  Brandt  of 
Darmstadt. 

The  first  thing  to  be  looked  after  will  be  the 


BAYREUTH  43 

building  site  for  the  theatre,  as  well  as  the  neces- 
sary decisions  in  regard  to  the  same  which  are 
to  be  arranged  with  the  worthy  council  of  the 
city  magistrates.  The  choice  of  a  situation  for 
my  own  residence  lies  also  very  near  my  heart. 
A  conference  with  the  Court  Architect  Wolffel, 
and  also  the  Berlin  architect,  in  regard  to  the 
contracts,  and  the  possibility  of  the  adjustment 
of  the  question  with  which  I  was  obliged  to 
trouble  you  in  regard  to  the  accommodations  of 
our  future  guests,  will  form  the  close  of  our 
discussion.  .  .  . 

In    agreeable    anticipation    of    making    your 
valued  personal  acquaintance,  I  am 
Yours  respectfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Carl  Brandt 

(Lucerne,  December  26,  1871.) 
My  dear  Friend! 

Accept  my  sincere  thanks  for  your  faithful- 
ness in  coming  and  amiability  of  endurance!     It 


44  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

was  delightful,  and  I  shall  never  forget  (nor 
will  anyone  of  the  others)  how  in  the  depth  of 
winter  we  sought  out  the  ground  for  the  art 
work  of  the  "  future."  Surely  it  was  well  chosen, 
and  we  three  confederates  will  not  conduct  our- 
selves badly  on  this  new  Griitli.  .  .  .  Now,  my 
dear  sir,  I  hope  you  have  gotten  rid  of 
your  "  Melancolie  "  and  think  actively  of  our 
work. 

Do  not  hesitate  to  give  any  necessary  order; 
send  me  all  of  your  contracts  to  be  signed,  and 
Feustel  will  be  immediately  instructed  and  em- 
powered to  make  the  corresponding  payments. 

For  the  rest,  everything  remains  according  to 
our  recent  agreement.  Everything-  which  time 
and  circumstances  will  permit  will  be  got  in 
readiness;  in  May  we  shall  meet  again,  and  I 
hope  by  that  time  to  have  the  co-operation  of 
a  few  competent  painters  for  the  production  of 
the  scenic  sketches. 

Sympathy  for  my  undertaking  has  made  such 
ignificant  progress  that  there  is  no  longer  any 


BAYREUTH  45 

doubt  as  to  the  sure  and  certain  accomplishment 
of  the  same. 

With  the  most  friendly  greetings, 
Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

The  allusion  here  to  the  "  new  Griitli  "  refers 
to  a  scene  in  Schiller's  drama  of  "  Wilhelm  Tell/' 
when  the  three  confederates,  Werner  Stauf- 
facher,  Walter  Fiirst,  and  Arnold  von  Melchtal, 
from  the  three  Swiss  cantons  of  Ury,  Schweiz, 
and  Unterwalden,  met  at  a  lonely  spot  on  the 
banks  of  Lake  Lucerne  and  bound  themselves 
by  an  oath  to  deliver  their  countrymen  from  the 
oppression  of  the  Austrian  yoke.  This  impres- 
sive scene  has  been  immortalised  in  a  fresco  on 
the  walls  of  the  little  Tell  chapel,  which  attracts 
its  large  quota  of  tourists  each  season. 

Equally  solemn  and  significant  seemed  to 
Wagner  the  confederacy  into  which  he  had  en- 
tered with  his  associates,  Neumann  the  Berlin 
architect  and  Carl  Brandt  the  staq-e  machinist, 


46  THE  BAYREUTH  LETERS 

for  the  realisation  of  a  plan  which  was  to  eman- 
cipate German  art. 

TO    MUNCKER   AND    FEUSTEL 

(Lucerne,  December  26,  1871.) 
My  esteemed  Sirs! 

The  decision  of  the  two  Councils  of  the  city 
of  Bayreuth  —  by  the  terms  of  which  the  ground 
necessary  for  the  building  of  a  Festival  Theatre, 
together  with  the  roads  and  grounds  belonging 
thereto,  on  the  chosen  location  in  the  vicinity 
of  St.  George,  are  placed  at  my  disposal  free  of 
charge  —  contains  for  me  a  cause  for  especial 
gratitude,  which  I  beg  of  you  to  express  most 
cordially,  in  my  name,  to  the  highly  esteemed 
gentlemen  of  both  Councils. 

Although  my  most  sanguine  expectations  led 
me  to  hope  for  nothing  more  than  a  friendly 
reception,  which  would  enable  me  to  choose  Bay- 
reuth as  the  long-sought  location  for  my  Fes- 
tival performance,  T  now  confess  with  great  sat- 
isfaction, that  my  joy  at  the  fulfilment  of  my 


BAYREUTH  47 

wishes  has  been  increased  in  great  measure  by 
the  hospitable  attitude  expressed  by  this  decision. 

During  the  successful  progress  of  my  under- 
taking I  hope  it  will  be  possible  to  convince  you 
what  significance  I  permit  myself  to  attach  to 
the  fact  that  my  idea  in  regard  to  a  remodelling 
of  the  German  art  organism  is  to  be  concentrated 
for  its  realisation  in  a  definite  local  scheme, 
which  local  scheme  will  serve  as  a  model  for 
performances  elsewhere. 

That  to  the  considerations  which  influence  me 
in  my  choice  of  Bayreuth  is  now  to  be  added 
the  very  encouraging  and  hospitable  advances  of 
the  magistrates  of  this  city,  gives  me  the  most 
confident  security  in  the  ultimate  realisation  of 
my  hopes  and  wishes. 

Again  begging  you,  most  esteemed  sirs,  to 
convey  the  cordial  expression  of  my  gratitude 
to  the  members  of  both  Councils  of  the  city  of 
Bayreuth,  and  with  the  hope  of  seeing  you  soon 
again,  I  am 

Yours  very  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 


4S  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

On  December  15,  1871,  the  city  magistrates 
formally  placed  at  Wagner's  disposal  a  piece  of 
ground  in  the  Stiickberg  for  his  Festival  Theatre, 
and  promised  in  addition  that  several  acres  of 
ground  should  be  laid  out  as  a  park.  But  at  the 
last  moment  one  of  the  owners  of  this  piece  of 
property  withdrew  his  consent,  and  the  City 
Council  had  to  look  about  for  a  new  location. 

This  they  found  on  the  heights  to  the  south 
of  the  city,  where  the  present  provisionary  the- 
atre now  stands,  the  enforced  exchange  proving 
eventually  to  be  more  advantageous. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Lucerne,  December  31,  1871. 
New  Year's  Eve.) 

J  is  teemed  Sir  and  valued  Friend! 

With  deep  emotion  I  received  your  card  to-day. 
At  the  time  I  sent  off  my  —  in  a  certain  measure 
—  official  document,  I  had  already  determined 
to  employ  the  first  leisure  hour  in  recalling  my- 
self again  personally  to  your  memory. 


BAYREUTH  49 

As  I  have  recognized  from  the  first,  esteemed 
friend,  you  are,  of  a  truth,  of  particular  sig- 
nificance in  my  future,  in  fact  in  my  life  plans. 

I  need  a  friend  of  your  stamp. 

Your  great  simplicity  at  once  allowed  me  a 
glimpse  into  the  energetic  traits  of  your  char- 
acter. I  can  fully  rely  not  only  on  your  open- 
heartedness  but  also  on  your  keen  intelligence. 

With  this  in  mind,  I  shall  retain  in  the  future 
your  proffered  hand.  .  .  . 

Since  our  great  cause  has  now  taken  such  a 
favourable  turn,  I  have  but  little  more  to  tell 
you  in  regard  to  it.  The  most  important  thing 
is  that  I  have  taken  the  necessary  measures  by 
which  the  payment  of  the  present  contracts  will 
be  made  possible  by  the  conveyance  of  the  funds 
now  held  by  Herr  v.  Loen.  I  am  further 
considering  how  the  entire  management  of  the 
business  can  best  be  transferred  to  Bayreuth 
after  the  first  of  May. 

Here  my  energetic  co-operation  must  be 
counted    upon,    as    otherwise    a    central    point 


5o  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

would  be  hard  to  find,  and  therefore  my  con- 
sent hitherto  withheld  in  calm  expectation  (of 
this  time)  has  recently  been  given. 

I  expect  therefore  that  an  executive  committee 
will  be  formed  here  in  Bayreuth,  which  will  be 
empowered  by  the  delegates  from  the  Society  of 
Patrons  —  at  the  time  of  the  corner-stone  lay- 
ing in  May  —  to  assume  control  of  the  entire 
enterprise. 

For  this  reason  I  regard  it  as  necessary  that 
I  should  not  be  away  from  Bayreuth  for  any 
length  of  time,  and  should  now  take  up  my  per- 
manent residence  there. 

Your  friendly  aid  is  indispensable  in  regard 
to  this  important  point. 

You  know  that  I  shall  not  be  able  to  take 
possession  of  my  house  until  the  autumn  of 
1873.  What  shall  I  do  in  order  that  I  and  my 
family  shall  not  be  too  seriously  incommoded 
during  this  interval?  This  is  the  question  in 
the  solution  of  which  I  turn  to  you.  It  will 
certainly  be  difficult  to  find  suitable  accommo- 


BAYREUTH  51 

dation  in  the  city  of  Bayreuth  itself,  and  it  would 
be  impossible  for  me  to  confine  my  numerous 
little  family  in  a  small  house  with  a  restricted 
city  garden  after  the  wide  and  delightful  free- 
dom which  they  have  enjoyed  here. 

I  have  in  mind  one  of  those  large  earlier  es- 
tates of  the  nobility,  pointed  out  to  me  as 
"  castles,"  with  large  gardens,  in  fact,  "  parks," 
one  or  two  hours  distant  from  the  city,  which 
were  offered  me  as  a  permanent  residence.  As 
such  I  immediately  refused  them  —  as  permanent 
I  mean  —  because  I  wished  to  settle  in  the  im- 
mediate vicinity  of  the  city.  .  .  . 

The  point  now  is  to  secure  something  desir- 
able and  rent  it  for  a  year  and  a  half.  I  shall 
have  to  learn  to  adapt  myself  to  the  distance 
during  this  time,  and  shall  have  to  make  some 
arrangement  about  a  horse  and  carriage  until 
I  am  permanently  settled. 

As  you  were  kind  enough  to  promise  me  your 
friendly  aid  in  regard  to  my  personal  needs  also, 
I,  first  of  all,  beg  your  assistance  in  this  point. 


52  THE   BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

How  it  would  delight  me  if  you  could  hold 
out  an  encouraging  prospect  to  me!  I  should 
set  about  looking  for  a  temporary  residence  in 
Dresden  with  great  reluctance,  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  should  nothing  offer  itself  in  Bayreuth,  I 
should  be  obliged  to  do  so,  as  I  must  leave  my 
present  asylum  (although  I  have  possession  of 
it  until  October,  1873)  *n  order  to  be  as  near 
the  centre  of  Germany  next  spring  as  is  made 
imperative  by  the  importance  of  my  affairs. 

You  certainly  understand  this  perfectly,  and 
I  have  nothing  to  repeat,  as  I  am  filled  with  the 
greatest  confidence  in  you,  and  with  this  feeling 
beg  you  to  accept  the  most  cordial  greetings 
from  me  and  my  dear  wife  and  also  to  remem- 
ber us  kindly  to  your  dear  ones. 

With  true  esteem, 

Yours  most  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

At  this  time  Wagner  was  still  living  at  Villa 
Tricbschcn    near    Lucerne,    a    spot    which    had 


BAYREUTH  53 

proven  a  "  blessed  asylum  "  for  him  when  polit- 
ical animosity  had  forced  him  to  leave  Munich 
and  his  royal  benefactor. 

This  Tricbschen  period  is  full  of  significance, 
as  it  was  here  that  "  Die  Meistersinger '    was 
written,  and  the  music  drama  of  "  Siegfried  ' 
was   completed   after   a   decade   and   a   half   of 
disheartening  interruption. 

It  was  during  the  Triebschen  days  that  the 
obstacles  were  removed  which  made  it  possible 
for  Wagner  to  unite  himself  with  Cosima  von 
Biilow,  the  daughter  of  Franz  Liszt  and  the 
Countess  D'Agoult,  and  the  wife  of  Hans  von 
Biilow  at  the  time  that  she  came  into  Wagner's 
life. 

Here  Siegfried  Wagner  was  born,  and  it  was 
this  long-wished  event,  the  birth  of  a  son.  which 
gave  to  the  musical  world  the  beautiful  Sieg- 
fried Idyll. 

Under  Wagner's  direction  the  work  was  per- 
formed by  a  little  company  of  musicians  and 
friends  on  the  steps  of  the  Triebschen  Villa,  and 


54  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Frau  Wagner  was  overcome  by  the  unexpected 
serenade. 

Thus  there  is  a  close  link  connecting  Trieb- 
schen  and  Bayreuth,  and  it  is  not  too  much  to 
say  that  the  calm  and  quiet  of  the  Triebschen 
period  gave  the  direct  impulse  to  the  Bayreuth 
Idea. 

/  To  Emil  Heckel 

(Lucerne,  January  3,  1872.) 
To  the  Five  Just  Men,  Salutations  and  Blessings!1 

Allow  me  to  thank  you,  my  esteemed  friend, 
for  your  faithful  zeal !  .  .   . 

I  should  like  to  learn  something  of  the  general 
condition  of  our  affairs.  I  am  building  away 
here  in  Bayreuth  without  knowing  but  that  in 
the  end  we  shall  be  left  in  the  lurch.  In  May 
all  of  you  must  make  up  your  minds  to  establish 
the  general  treasury  in  Bayreuth,  with  my  excel- 
lent friend,  the  banker  Feustel.     I  now  see  that 

1  This  was  the  playful  way  in  which  Wagner  characterised  the 
five  men  who  composed  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Mannheim 
Wagner  Society:  Emil  Heckel,  Dr.  Zeroni,  Ferdinand  Lange, 
Hanlein,  and  Koch. 


BAYREUTH  55 

I  must  begin  to  have  a  word  to  say,  in  order  to 
give  the  undertaking  a  focussing  point. 

I  believe  the  "  just  men  "  will  support  me !  .  .  . 
As  for  the  rest,  I  place  all  sorts  of  pleasant 
anticipation  in  the  German  national  spirit,  upon 
which  I  am  so  dependent!  .  .  . 

That  which  gives  me  pleasure  is  a  man  of  your 
sort,  valued  friend ;  you  know  what  —  and  why  ? 

A  thousand  thanks  for  all  the  friendly  tokens 
of  your  kindness  and  love;  I  have  taken  cog- 
nisance of  them  with  great  emotion! 

Again  cordial  greetings  from 
Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

(Former  favourite  of  the  European  Court.) 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Lucerne,  February  7,  1872.) 
My  esteemed  dear  Friend! 

You  are  the  last  person  to  whom  I  am  writing 
since  my  return;  for  two  days  T  have  done 
nothing   but   write   letters,   and   have   only   got 


56  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

round  to  you  late  in  the  evening;  so  it  is  with 
friendship!  The  friend  comes  last,  because  we 
know  with  certainty  that  it  is  he  alone  who  has 
patience  and  forbearance. 

We  expect  in  a  few  days  a  report  as  to  the 
success  of  the  Vienna  Society,  that  the  favour- 
able news  may  be  used  in  lending  interest  to 
the  corner-stone  laying  —  an  interest  which  I 
intend  to  increase  by  an  extraordinary  musical 
performance  for  which  I  have  already  taken  the 
preparatory  steps. 

Under  all  circumstances  my  goal  remains  the 
same,  and  the  certainty  of  reaching  it  is  guar- 
anteed by  my  move  to  Bayreuth.  .  .  .  That, 
however,  which  fills  me  deeply  with  courage  and 
composure  is  the  fact  that  I  have  gained  you, 
my  friend !  Had  I  not  encountered  you  on  my 
way  to  the  goal  —  you,  and  the  characteristics 
and  intellectual  traits  which  you  possess  —  I 
should  possibly  have  recoiled  before  the  difficul- 
ties, and  relinquished  the  idea  of  absolving  my 
task.     And  yet  there  is  one  thing  which  stands 


BAYREUTH  57 

above  all  others,  and  that  is  the  depth  of  my 
artistic  conviction  as  it  manifests  itself  in  the 
consciousness  of  my  mission.  That  now,  on  the 
rough  pathway  mapped  out  for  me  by  this  mis- 
sion, I  find  you,  my  friend,  —  and  moreover,  as 
you  are,  zvho  you  are,  and  where  you  are,  —  I 
recognise  as  the  fulfilment  of  a  profound  decree 
of  fate,  and  you  will  have  to  accept  the  position 
and  consent  to  be  regarded  by  me  as  "  endse- 
monic " !  .  .  .  Some  patience  will  be  necessary, 
but  above  all  things  you  must  have  faith  and 
courage.  We  must  wait  and  see  what  the  next 
few  weeks  bring.  .  .  . 

In  the  meantime  the  entire  Triebschen  sends 
greetings  to  the  dear  Feustel  house  in  Bay- 
reuth!  .  .  . 

Farewell,  dear  friend!  I  am  happy  when  I 
even  think  of  you.  Greetings  to  all  friends, 
above  all,  your  dear  ones,  and  be  assured  of  my 
genuine  gratitude  for  your  friendship. 

Yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 


58.  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

To  Burgomaster  Theodor  Muncker 

(Lucerne,  February  10,  1872.) 
Dear  and  valued  Friend! 

As  you  were  kind  enough  to  assume  the  tem- 
porary planting  of  my  newly  acquired  building 
lot,  and  as  there  is  no  more  time  to  be  lost,  I 
take  the  liberty  of  availing  myself  of  your  kind- 
ness, and  disclosing  to  you  my  most  casual  plans 
in  regard  to  the  same. 

I  have  indicated  the  desired  position  of  my 
house  on  the  accompanying  photograph,  and  also 
a  rough  sketch  of  the  division  of  the  lot.  A  road 
will  lead  from  the  street  to  the  court,  which 
would  best  be  an  allee  of  chestnut  trees.  On 
either  side  of  the  all  be  are  to  be  fruit  and  vege- 
table gardens,  shut  off  by  a  hedge,  the  outer 
boundaries,  however,  to  be  planted  with  shrub- 
bery and  groups  of  pine  trees  in  the  corners. 

Between  the  house  and  the  castle  park  we  shall 
lay  out  the  real  decorative  garden.  First  of  all, 
there  will   be   a  big  round  lawn   in   the  middle 


BAYREUTH  59 

which  later  can  be  intersected  by  flower-beds; 
in  this  space  noble  trees,  such  as  plantains, 
catalfa,  etc.,  must  be  properly  distributed.  Here, 
again,  the  side  toward  the  castle  park  demands 
much  close  shrubbery,  with  trees  of  various 
species  and,  in  the  corners,  pine  and  fir  trees. 

On  account  of  the  season  the  most  important 
thing  is  to  see  that  a  goodly  number  of  trees 
and  shrubs  are  planted  in  the  manner  indicated, 
and  that  too  much,  rather  than  too  little,  shall 
be  expended  upon  it. 

A  clever  gardener,  whom  you,  dear  friend, 
would  choose  for  me,  could  possibly  work  out 
a  tentative  plan  for  the  laying  out  of  the  entire 
piece  of  ground  according  to  the  appended  ap- 
proximate specifications;  I  should  then  be  able 
from  here  to  indicate  my  wishes  more  exactly,  and 
in  this  way  a  beginning  would  have  been  made. 

I  feel  sure  that  this  cannot  be  entrusted  to 
anyone  more  competent  than  yourself,  in  con- 
junction with  our  excellent  friend  Feustel.  I 
expect  the  definite  plans  for  my  house  any  day; 


6o  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

according  to  all  promises  made  to  me,  they  must 
soon  be  here,  and  even  before  the  end  of  the 
month  everything  for  further  settlement  shall 
be  in  your  hands. 

May  God  grant  that  our  great  undertaking 
may  also  soon  come  into  an  encouraging  chan- 
nel ;  I  am  of  good  courage,  because  I  know  that 
for  the  greater  part  it  rests  in  the  hands  of  my 
Bayreuth  friends!  My  dear  wife  and  I  think 
with  great  satisfaction  on  the  fact  that  we  shall 
soon  belong  entirely  to  you;  remain  kindly  dis- 
posed toward  me! 

With  the  most  cordial  greetings  —  also  to  our 
dear  friend  Feustel — I  remain, 

Your  grateful  and  faithful, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Lucerne,  February  16,  1872.) 
Dear  just  Man! 

Please  accept  my  belated  thanks  for  your  Bay- 
reuth visit  as  well  as  your  report  of  your  recent 


BAYREUTH  61 

Berlin  adventure !  And  in  order  to  come  at 
once  to  the  gravest  point  in  connection  with 
the  latter,  I  beg  of  you  to  say  that  under  no 
circumstances  will  I  give  my  consent  to  this  pro- 
jected lottery. 

There  can  really  be  nothing  more  humiliating 
than  the  position  into  which  I  have  been  forced 
by  exaggerated  reports  as  to  the  significance 
of  a  "  Wagneriana '  in  Berlin,  and  by  being 
thus  made  to  believe  that  I  could  accept  such 
assistance  which,  of  a  certainty,  would  drive  me 
on  to  the  shoals. 

If  anyone  should  offer  me  two  hundred  thou- 
sand thalers  toward  the  realisation  of  my  idea, 
I  should  be  profoundly  grateful  to  such  a  per- 
son; on  the  other  hand,  to  ask  of  me  the  au- 
thorisation for  a  lottery  seems  to  be  simply  a 
swindle  which  cannot  be  too  firmly  repulsed.  .  .  . 

It  seems  also  premature  to  me,  valued  friend, 
to  issue  a  proclamation  in  regard  to  a  society 
the  aim  of  which  is  placed  far  beyond  the  goal 
which  lies  nearest  and  yet  is  so  difficult  to  reach, 


62  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

namely,  the  first  performance  of  my  Festival 
Play.  Every  possible  effort  will  be  necessary  to 
ensure  the  attainment  of  this  goal;  I  shall  ac- 
complish it  if  I  am  patiently  supported;  my 
chief  anxiety  on  this  point  is  directed  towards 
my  dependence  upon  the  King  of  Bavaria. 

I  am  already  recruiting  for  the  Ninth  Sym- 
phony, and  expect  definite  news  soon  in  regard 
to  the  instrumentalists. 

If  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  goes  off  ac- 
cording to  my  programme,  I  hope  for  much  as- 
sistance from  the  impression  it  makes. 

Cordial  greetings  for  your  colleagues,  the  just 
men.     Hoping  to  see  you  soon  in  Bayreuth! 
Yours  most  devotedly, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Lucerne,  February  25,  1872.) 
My  dear  Friend! 

I  cannot  tell  you  how  sorry  I  am  to  be  obliged 

to  turn  over  my  business  to  you  in  such  a  con- 


BAYREUTH  63 

fused  condition!  But  nothing  would  be  gained 
by  giving  way  to  such  feelings.  Upon  closer 
inspection  there  is  only  a  bad  stage  to  be  passed 
through  into  which  we  have  temporarily  been 
thrown  by  neglect  in  a  matter  in  itself  full  of 
hope  and  promise.  If  things  take  a  good  course, 
we  shall  have  only  good  results  from  this  pre- 
vious neglect,  that  is,  if  they  are  now  managed 
cleverly  and  wisely !  This  is  my  consolation  and 
encouragement ! 

The  chief  thing  now  is  the  favourable  outcome 
of  my  project  for  May  22.  I  did  not  wish  to 
make  anything  public  until  I  had  secured  the 
consent  of  my  musicians  and  singers.  Accord- 
ing to  the  latest  information  which  has  reached 
me  the  success  of  the  undertaking  is  beyond  all 
doubt.  Everywhere  my  invitation  has  been  re- 
ceived with  enthusiasm,  and  the  acceptance  of 
the  best  musicians  of  the  leading  German  or- 
chestras reach  me  in  almost  overwhelming  num- 
bers. And  no  less  on  the  part  of  the  singers. 
Therefore  I  can  now  give  you  authority  to  enter 


64  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

into  an  agreement  for  the  work  on  the  orchestra 
pit.  ...  I  am  to  receive  the  plans  for  my  house 
this  week.  In  the  meantime  I  thank  you  heartily 
for  your  trouble  about  the  garden  plot.  Yes,  my 
Bayreuth  friends,  that  is  the  right  stamp!  I 
had  indeed  a  prophetic  feeling! 

I  look  on  quietly  and  modestly  at  your  arrange- 
ments concerning  the  commencement  of  work  on 
the  theatre.  Without  doubt  the  chief  thing  is 
to  save  the  situation  by  putting  as  bold  a  face 
on  the  matter  as  possible. 

For  the  rest,  I  breathe  freely  at  the  thought 
of  not  seeing  the  enormous  undertaking  hur- 
ried through  with,  particularly  from  an  artistic 
standpoint.  .  .  . 

Our  children  are  already  romancing  about 
Bayreuth ;  it  is  difficult  for  us  to  endure  it  here 
so  long,  so  far  from  our  new  friends. 

My  blessings  upon  you  and  sincerest  greetings ! 

Yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 


BAYREUTH  65 

The  ceremonies  in  connection  with  the  corner- 
stone laying  of  the  new  theatre  were  to  close 
with  a  Festival  Concert,  of  which  the  outstanding 

feature  was  to  be  Beethoven's  Ninth  Symphony. 
It  was  to  take  place  in  the  old  Margravian 
Theatre,  the  orchestral  pit  of  which  had  to  be 
enlarged  to  accommodate  the  large  number  of 
musicians  who  had  volunteered  their  services 
for  this  great  musical  event. 

To  Burgomaster  Theodor  Muncker 

(Lucerne,  March  26,  1872.) 
My  excellent  Friend! 

...  I  must  address  myself  especially  to  you, 
in  order  to  prepare  you  for  the  anxieties  which 
you  will  necessarily  encounter  so  long  as  you 
remain  favourably  disposed  toward  my  great  un- 
dertaking, as  it  has  now  become  our  mutual  care. 

So  many  obstacles  have  arisen  that  I  consider 
it  all  the  more  important  that  we  hold  to  our 
Preliminary  Festival  on  May  22,  which,  assum- 
ing the  issue  to  be  for  certain  a  favourable  one, 


66  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

will  bring  with  it  a  more  vigorous  impulse  to 
our  great  undertaking. 

My  invitation,  which  was  presented  to  you  for 
signature,  will  have  informed  you  that  every- 
thing is  already  in  the  most  flourishing  condi- 
tion. In  fact,  my  appeal  has  been  met  far  be- 
yond my  expectations,  for  we  have  to  provide 
for  four  hundred  instead  of  three  hundred  musi- 
cal guests. 

In  addition  to  the  increased  demands  upon 
Bayreuth  hospitality,  the  following  difficulty  in 
regard  to  our  further  arrangements  grows  out 
of  this  interest.  The  space  in  our  opera  house 
will  need  to  contain  one  hundred  more  singers 
and  proportionately  one  hundred  more  hosts.  .  .  . 

We  must  see  how  many  acceptances  come  in 
from  our  patrons  and  friends  as  the  result  of 
our  invitation;  as  only  one  symphony  is  to  be 
performed  this  time,  I  shall  quite  understand  if 
these  notifications  do  not  prove  to  be  many.  Pre- 
sumably, therefore,  the  auditorium  will  prove 
adequate,   in   spite  of  the   fact  that  we  are  to 


BAYREUTH  67 

place  four  hundred  free  seats  at  the  disposal  of 
our  Bayreuth  hosts. 

But  now  comes  a  bad  piece  of  business,  dear 
friend,  in  which  I  must  be  able  to  count  on  your 
friendly  assistance.  I  shall  have  to  leave  en- 
tirely to  you  the  appeal  to  the  Bayreuth  citizens 
who  are  willing  to  offer  hospitality  to  the  musi- 
cians and  singers  for  three  days,  although  I 
naturally  place  my  name  entirely  at  your  disposal 
and  pleasure. 

I  intend  to  instruct  all  of  my  scattered  musi- 
cians and  singers  to  send  in  their  names  and 
addresses  to  you  personally.  .  .  .  We  will  have 
four  hundred  invitation  forms  printed,  to  which 
will  be  added  the  address  of  the  respective  Bay- 
reuth hosts.  These  invitation  forms  will  then 
be  sent  to  the  various  organizations  or  (in  cer- 
tain cases)  to  the  individual  guests  in  due  time, 
so  that  each  guest  will  know  who  his  entertainer 
is  to  be  when  he  arrives  in  Bayreuth.  More 
definite  instruction  for  this  you  will  receive  from 
me  in  good  time. 


68  THE   BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Finally,  I  confess  to  you,  my  dear  friend,  that 
my  present  residence  is  becoming  more  and  more 
a  distressing  matter  to  me,  particularly  as  I  see 
how  necessary  it  is  that  I  should  not  be  so  far 
from  the  centre  of  Germany. 

The  interruptions  which  I  regret  are  often  the 
result  of  dilatoriness,  against  which  I  shall  be 
obliged  to  take  energetic  measures.  My  Berlin 
friend,  the  architect  Neumann,  gives  me  very 
little  comfort;  everything  is  dragging  vexa- 
tiously;  his  plans  and  drawings  for  my  house 
have  turned  out  beautifully,  but  what  a  time 
elapses  before  they  are  handed  over  to  my  Bay- 
reuth  friends  and  agents  for  execution!  This 
must  be  done  at  once.  Then  —  your  troubles 
begin  again ! 

But  you  do  it  gladly;  I  have  noticed  this, 
dear  friend,  with  pleasure.  So  I  remain  of  good 
courage,  and  send  you  greetings  from  a  grate- 
ful heart. 

Your  deeply  devoted 

Richard  Wagner. 


BAYREUTH  69 

To  Feustel  and  Muncker 

(Lucerne,  April  7,  1872.) 
To  my  dear  and  highly  esteemed  Friends,  Messrs. 
Feustel  and  Muncker! 

You  must  permit  me  to  write  to  you  mutually, 
for  you  are,  as  I  know,  one  heart  and  one  soul 
in  my  cause,  and  it  would  therefore  be  difficult 
to  decide  what,  of  all  I  have  to  impart,  should 
be  said  to  either  one  separately! 

Moreover,  it  is  unnecessary  to  impress  upon 
you  to  what  a  great  degree  your  kind  letter  re- 
freshed and  strengthened  me. 

For  a  long  time  I  have  cherished  the  wish  — 
greater  even  than  for  the  success  of  my  artistic 
activity  —  to  have  a  quiet  home,  in  which  I 
should  be  able  to  strengthen  my  overtaxed  men- 
tal powers  by  getting  out  of  harness;  and  I 
have  wished  this  all  the  more  of  late  years,  since 
the  noble  blessing  of  an  incomparably  happy 
family  life  has  been  granted  me. 

This  wish,  more  than  anything  else,  influenced 


70  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

me  in  my  choice  of  your  dear  city  of  Bayreuth, 
and  since  I  have  known  you,  my  dear  friends, 
and  through  you  gained  an  insight  into  the 
friendly  attitude  of  your  city  toward  me,  the 
consideration  of  settling  in  your  midst  has  really 
outweighed  the  success  of  my  unusual  artistic 
undertaking. 

>  This  I  have  given  the  King  of  Bavaria  to 
understand  unconditionally;  and  this  I  had  a 
right  to  do,  as  one  of  the  first  assurances  which 
I  received  from  him  was  in  connection  with  this 
one  point,  that  I  was  to  be  raised  above  all  the 
cares  of  life  and  be  allowed  to  pursue  uninter- 
ruptedly my  artistic  activity.  .  .  . 

Although  I  have  learned  that  the  King  has 
finally  become  reconciled  to  the  state  of  things, 
I  still  deem  it  advisable  to  renounce  his  help  in 
my  proposed  move  to  Bayreuth,  if  I  cling  firmly 
to  my  plans  and  wishes. 

I  have  so  expressed  myself  recently  to  the 
Court  Councillor  Diifflipp,  and  shall  remain  firm 
in  refusing  the  support  of  the  King  in  my  re- 


BAYREUTH  71 

moval  to  Bayreuth,  as  a  result  of  which  you, 
dear  Herr  Feustel,  will  be  requested  eventually 
to  dispose  of  the  building  lot  which  was  bought 
at  the  expense  of  the  Royal  Treasury. 

I  confess  that  I  almost  felt  myself  moved,  by 
this  failure  of  my  most  ardent  wish,  to  renounce 
definitely  all  my  plans  concerning  Bayreuth. 
But  your  two  splendid  letters  have  thoroughly 
changed  my  views.  Let  us,  then,  remain  firm! 
The  work  must  flourish,  even  should  its  creator 
be  left  to  his  former  anxiety!  Even  without  a 
building  lot,  you  will  probably  accept  me  as  one 
of  your  citizens.  .  .  .  We  were  moved  to  tears 
to  learn  of  the  care  which  you,  dear  Herr 
Muncker,  had  bestowed  upon  the  planting 
and  laying  out  of  the  lot  intended  for  me. 
Accept  my  thanks,  as  if  it  were  really  for 
me! 

From  your  intimations,  dear  Herr  Feustel,  am 
I  to  recognise  that  your  efforts  in  regard  to  our 
great  undertaking  are  being  crowned  with  en- 
couraging success  ?    May  I  not  be  deceiving  my- 


72  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

self?  You  will  encounter  much  indolence  and 
unreliability,  but  presumably  it  will  be  the  same 
with  you  as  with  me,  namely,  you  will  not  re- 
linquish your  faith  that  finally  —  finally  it  must 
and  will  come  to  something  with  us  good 
Germans ! 

Neumann  is  terrible!  Yesterday,  after  receiv- 
ing your  letter,  I  telegraphed  him  categorically, 
and  hope  that  it  may  have  some  effect.  He  is 
just  a  thoughtless  Berliner!  Of  quite  another 
sort  is  Brandt  of  Darmstadt !  He  has,  in  fact, 
the  most  thorough  understanding  of  the  entire 
matter,  and  how  much  I  wish  that  we  had  also 
left  the  choice  of  an  architect  to  him!  Possibly 
we  shall  be  obliged  to  call  upon  him,  after  all. 
Have  the  kindness  to  telegraph  me  immediately 
as  to  how  N.  has  conducted  himself,  in  order 
that  wc  may  accordingly  adopt  other  measures. 
I  fear  that  he  has  engrossed  himself  with 
plans  for  "  my  "  house,  which  I  should  deplore 
very  much,  as  the  work,  for  a  long  time  at  least, 
has  become  unnecessary!     In  this  connection  I 


BAYREUTH  73 

am  reminded  of  my  former  plans,  and  in  regard 
to  them  must  beg  of  you  to  cancel  my  agree- 
ment with  the  host  of  the  inn  at  the  "  Fantaisie," 
for  which  there  is  probably  still  plenty  of  time. 
My  immediate  move  would  have  had  for  an  ob- 
ject my  proximity,  when  necessary,  to  my  per- 
manent home  (now  given  up),  as  well  as  having 
furnished  me  with  a  closer  point  of  contact  for 
my  labours  in  connection  with  the  future  Festival 
Play.  As  regards  the  latter,  we  are  now  agreed 
that  we  cannot  be  ready  by  next  year,  and  ac- 
cordingly dare  not  hold  out  a  prospect  of  such 
a  thing  before  1874.  On  this  point  I  intend  to 
come  to  an  understanding  with  my  patrons  on 
May  22  in  Bayreuth. 

I  have  now,  as  a  simple  private  citizen,  to  take 
into  consideration  my  peculiar  circumstances, 
and  find  that  a  summer  residence  in  the  "  Fan- 
taisie "  would  tax  me  too  heavily,  as  I  still  have 
to  pay  very  high  rent  here  for  a  year.  How- 
ever, I  am  willing  to  modify  my  decision  as  soon 
as   you,   my   dear    friend,    consider   my    further 


74  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

absence  from  Bayreuth  as  injurious  to  our 
undertaking. 

In  regard  to  our  Festival  performance  of  the 
big  Beethoven  Symphony,  I  have  hit  upon  a  very 
simple  expedient  for  the  placing  of  my  big  body 
of  singers,  namely,  all  the  singers,  for  whom 
room  cannot  be  found  on  the  stage,  will  be  placed 
in  the  front  rows  of  the  parquet.  In  fact,  this 
idea  corresponds  exactly  and  in  the  most  per- 
fect manner  to  my  most  ideal  demands,  accord- 
ing to  which  the  public  (just  as  the  congrega- 
tion in  the  church)  shall  join  in  the  singing. 

The  question  to  be  considered  is  that  of  pro- 
viding for  the  "  entertainers,"  in  whose  interests 
I  should  therefore  like  to  suggest  that  all  those 
who  would  prefer  compensation  in  money  rather 
than  by  a  temporary  art  pleasure  should  be  paid 
off  in  this  way. 

On  the  whole,  I  should  like  to  have  the  entire 
parquet  and  stage  reserved  for  us  crazy  musi- 
cians and  singers,  and  relegate  the  listeners  to 
the  boxes  and  the  balconies. 


BAYREUTH  75 

The  question  is  now  how  many  acceptances 
will  come  in  from  the  patrons  and  friends.  For 
that  reason  I  regret  the  misunderstanding  which 
led  you  to  believe  that  I  did  not  wish  the  invi- 
tation to  be  made  public  until  April  15.  I  should 
like  the  announcement  to  be  made  at  once!  So 
much  sooner  we  shall  be  clear  as  to  whether 
many  or,  as  may  be  easily  imagined,  only 
a  moderate  number  of  acceptances  will  be 
received. 

More  soon  in  regard  to  everything  else!  For 
to-day  only  the  most  friendly  greetings  from  the 
depths  of  my  soul  and  that  of  my  dear  wife,  to 
you  and  yours! 

Yours  most  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

The  King  had  still  secretly  cherished  the  hope 
that  a  way  would  be  opened  by  which  he  could 
recall  his  favourite  to  Munich.  But  intriguers 
were  busy  sowing  seeds  of  doubt  in  order  to 
create  a  breach  between  the  two  friends,   and 


76  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

even  though  Wagner  felt  that  the  King  would 
eventually  be  reconciled  to  the  course  of  events, 
a  natural  feeling  of  pride  prevented  him  from 
accepting  aid  from  his  royal  friend  in  building 
a  house  and  establishing  his  own  menage  in  Bay- 
reuth.  It  was  this  feeling  which  led  him  to 
refuse  the  proffered  gift  of  a  building  site. 

To  Friedricii  Feustel 

(Lucern*e,  April  10,  1872.) 
My  dear  Friend! 

Only  two  words  in  answer  to  your  kind  lines 
received  this  morning.  .  .  .  Xow  to  serious 
matters ! 

I  have  no  further  news  from  Brandt.  Of  his 
competency  I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt;  I 
should  like  to  see  him  as  the  real  director  of  the 
artistic  management  of  the  building  also,  for 
he  it  is  who,  apart  from  myself,  possesses  a  real 
understanding  of  the  matter.  I  am  very  anxious 
to  see  now  if  he  will  answer  my  invitation  and 
put  in  his  appearance.     His  demands  are  high, 


BAYREUTH  77 

and  yet  I  know  enough  to  judge  that  he  has 
the  strange,  difficult,  and  complicated  task.  If, 
at  my  first  estimate,  I  calculated  the  provi- 
sionary  building  at  a  hundred  thousand  thalers, 
I  allowed  him  also  another  hundred  thousand  for 
machinery  and  decorations.  We  can,  in  any  case, 
abide  by  his  estimates,  as  the  decorations,  as 
such,  are  calculated  unnecessarily  high  at  fifty 
thousand  thalers. 

If  I  reserve  now  the  third  one  hundred  thou- 
sand for  orchestra  and  singers  —  which  eventu- 
ally will  not  cost  so  much  —  I  shall  still  have  a 
reserve  fund  for  deficits  in  the  building  or  other 
parts  of  the  work.  It  is  important  now  that  we 
limit  the  building  in  order  that  here,  at  least 
approximately,  we  keep  within  the  one  hundred 
thousand  thalers;  this  can  be  done  less  by  limit- 
ing the  dimensions,  than  by  reducing  any  un- 
necessary solidity,  as  it  is,  after  all,  only  planned 
to  be  a  provisionary  structure. 

These  are  my  views  which  I  ofifer  for  friendly 
consideration    at    the    renewed    deliberations    on 


78  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

this  subject,  which  will  undoubtedly  be  caused 
by  the  arrival  of  Brandt.  .  .  . 

Cordial  greetings  from  myself  and  my  wife, 
who  entertains  the  greatest  respect  for  you. 

Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Feustel  and  Muncker 

(Lucerne,  April,  1872.) 

Highly  honoured  Sirs  and  Friends! 

With  many  thanks  I  return  to  you  the  three 
plans  made  by  Herr  Franck.  As  in  the  mean- 
time I  have  already  informed  you  of  my  wishes 
in  regard  to  the  placing  of  my  musicians  and 
singers,  you  may  now  regard  the  matter  as  set- 
tled. T  however  insist  that  nothing  shall  be 
changed  in  the  first  plan,  upon  which  Herr 
Franck  and  I  agreed  in  Bayreuth,  as  I  regard 
it  as  entirely  appropriate  to  the  character  of  the 
performance  that  a  part  of  the  singers  should 
be  placed  in  the  stalls.  I  have  quite  made  up 
my  mind  as  to  the  manner  in  which  this  is  to 


BAYREUTH  79 

be  done,  and  the  slightest  change  in  the  dispo- 
sition of  the  parquet  must  not  be  attempted.  I 
beg  of  you  now  to  give  me  an  exact  statement 
of  the  number  of  seats  in  the  entire  parquet; 
at  the  same  time  it  is  desirable  that  Herr  Franck 
should  send  me  a  plan  of  the  interior  of  the 
theatre,  in  fact,  a  statement  of  the  number  of 
seats  in  the  various  parts  of  the  building.  I 
think  that  I  shall  need  the  entire  parquet  space, 
with  all  of  its  seats,  for  my  singers,  as  I  now 
have  over  three  hundred  at  my  disposal,  and  no 
one  of  whom  I  should  like  to  reject  —  for  almost 
moral  reasons. 

The  real  listening  public  would  accordingly  be 
placed  almost  exclusively  in  the  galleries  and 
rows  of  boxes.  As  the  theatre  is  said  to  seat 
seven  hundred,  I  count  on  placing  two  hundred 
in  the  parquet,  in  which  number  standing-room 
must  probably  also  be  included.  According  to 
this,  we  would  have  at  our  disposal  only  five 
hundred  good  seats  for  the  audience.  As  I  have 
to  provide  for  four  hundred   (Bayreuth)   hosts 


So  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

of  our  musical  guests,  only  one  hundred  places 
would  remain  for  patrons  and  friends  from  a 
distance.  This  number  will  depend  upon  the  re- 
sult of  the  announcement,  and  for  that  reason 
I  should  have  wished  that  the  public  invitation 
had  not  been  withheld  so  long.  As  it  is  to  be 
no  theatrical  performance,  I  fancy,  on  the  whole, 
that  there  will  be  no  musical  rush  at  that  time 
on  the  part  of  the  real  "  patrons,"  as  there  are 
not  so  many  of  them,  and  among  them  are  many 
who  (like  the  Emperor,  twenty-five  times  a 
patron)  would  not  dream  of  making  the  trip 
to  Bayreuth  simply  to  participate  in  this  Festival. 
In  regard  to  the  numbers  of  the  Wagner  So- 
ciety, one  could  be  a  little  careful  about  grant- 
ing admissions.  At  all  events,  if  a  considerable 
number  of  really  justifiable  guests  announced 
their  intention  of  being  present,  then  I  must 
appeal  to  my  Bayreuth  hosts,  or  friends,  and  beg 
them  to  resign  their  claim  of  being  present  at 
the  performances.  Naturally  there  are  many 
among  them  who   are   not   very  keen   about  a 


BAYREUTH  81 

Beethoven  Symphony.  Such,  then,  could  receive 
compensation  from  us  for  the  proffered  accom- 
modations and  meals,  and  it  might  be  possible 
from  the  beginning  to  make  two  lists  of  en- 
tertainers, one  of  which  would  be  put  down  as 
voluntary  (with  tickets),  the  other  those  who 
would  be  willing  to  accept  compensation  (with- 
out tickets). 

At  any  rate,  there  would  be  a  considerable 
amount  of  standing-room  in  the  parquet  (which 
I  should  not  dare  offer  the  singers),  and  this 
could  be  used  and  not  be  found  too  fatiguing 
for  mere  listeners,  as  the  performance  lasts  only 
a  little  over  an  hour.  The  chief  thing  is  an 
inspiring  Musical  Festival;  the  chorus  of  the 
symphony  should  really  be  sung  by  the  entire 
audience;  in  fact,  it  would  be  inspiring  did  they 
only  seem  to  be  doing  so.  Therefore!  be  quick 
with  the  announcement,  in  order  that  we  may 
set  a  limit  for  acceptance  to  be  sent  in;    then 

a  plan  of  the  theatre  and  information  as  to  the 
space.  .  .  . 


82  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Levy  no  duty  upon  the  musicians!  If  a  musi- 
cian is  to  take  pleasure  in  playing  well,  the  first 
condition  is  that  he  must  be  untrammelled.  By 
the  way,  I  have  now  exactly  one  hundred  musi- 
cians. Accept  my  most  cordial  greetings.  More 
later  from  your 

Very  faithful 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Lucerne,  April,  12  1872.) 
My  esteemed  Friend! 

Many  thanks  for  your  last  letter!  It  does  not 
occur  to  me  to  doubt  the  genuine  success  of  our 
great  undertaking  as  long  as  you  remain  faith- 
ful to  me. 

You  surely  understood  me  correctly.  Not  for 
a  moment  did  I  believe  in  the  double-dealing  of 
my  Bayreuth  friends,  but  it  frightened  me  to 
know  that  the  odious  system  by  which  everything 
in  Bayreuth  is  biased  by  Munich,  had  got  a 
Footing. 


BAYREUTH  &$ 

On  the  contrary,  had  I  given  up  Bayreuth  I 
should  have  given  up  the  entire  undertaking. 
They  are  so  grown  together  that  so  far  as  my 
great  Stage  Festival  Play  has  as  yet  attracted 
attention,  it  is  already  inseparably  connected  with 
the  name  of  Bayreuth. 

It  is  gratifying  to  me,  above  all  things,  that 
you,  dear  friend,  remain  indefatigable,  and  that, 
on  the  whole,  you  seem  to  be  convinced  of  the 
good  prospects.  Certainly  I  can  see  that  it  is 
going  ahead  about  us;  and  I,  who  have  such 
boundless  patience,  wish  for  nothing  more  but 
that  we  may  be  given  plenty  of  time  and  not 
rushed.  Everything  will  certainly  develop;  it 
grows  and  matures  —  only,  everything  must  be 
kept  clean. 

I  quite  agree  with  your  ideas  in  regard  to  the 
division  of  the  necessary  financial  resources. 
More  exactly  expressed,  it  is  as  follows: 

I.  The  theatre  building  to  be  considered  ab- 
solutely provisional ;  it  would  please  me  if  it 
were  entirely  of  wood,  like  the  gymnasiums  and 


84  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Saengerfest  halls:  no  further  solidity  than  what 
is  necessary  to  insure  against  collapse.  There- 
fore economise  —  no  ornamentation.  In  this 
building  we  are  only  giving  the  outline  of  the 
idea,  and  hand  it  over  to  the  Nation  to  per- 
petuate it  as  a  monumental  structure. 

2.  Machinery  and  decorations  all  ideal,  in  re- 
lation to  the  inner  art-work  —  absolutely  perfect. 
Here  no  economy;  everything  designed  for  per- 
manency, nothing  temporary. 

3.  Singers  and  musicians  to  receive  only  com- 
pensation, but  no  (salary)  "  payments."  He  who 
does  not  come  to  me  from  glory  and  enthusiasm 
can  stay  where  he  is.  A  lot  of  use  to  me  a 
singer  would  be  who  came  to  me  only  for  a  silly 
salary!  Such  a  person  could  never  satisfy  my 
artistic  demands.  This,  my  dear  friend,  is  one 
of  my  miracles,  by  which  I  show  to  the  world 
how  a  personnel  is  secured  for  the  performance 
of  my  work;  and  my  friends  must  believe  in 
this.  Tt  is  naturally  quite  different  when  a 
Court  Intendant  has  to  deal  with  such  people; 


BAYREUTH  85 

then  there  is  the  very  devil  to  pay,  and  it  is 
just  this  which  I  understand  how  to  control.  I 
need  about  twenty  leading  and  secondary  per- 
sons; they  must  not  cost  me  more  than  thirty 
thousand  thalers  for  the  two  months,  or  other- 
wise I  can  have  nothing  to  do  with  them.  A 
hundred  musicians,  at  a  monthly  compensation 
of  fifty  thalers,  would  make  at  the  most  ten  thou- 
sand thalers.  /  vouch  for  this,  for  this  is  my 
empire. 

It  is  quite  different  when  one  has  to  deal  with 
builders,  carpenters,  wood,  canvas,  lead,  brushes, 
and  machinery:  here  I  have  no  power,  but  can 
only  arrange  and  give  orders.  Here  only  money 
can  accomplish  anything. 

Further  matters  can  be  discussed  quietly  at 
a  more  convenient  time.  I  am  so  extraordinarily 
happy  to  have  gained  a  man  like  you  as  a  friend. 
my  dear  Feustel.  This  is  more  comforting  for 
my  future  than  if  someone  were  hammering  and 
chiselling  on  "  my  "  house  to-day. 

Let  me  know  when  you  think  it  necessarv  for 


86  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

me  to  be  in  Bayreuth ;    I  consider  myself  now 
as  entirely  dependent  upon  you.  .  .  . 

Devotedly  yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Lucerne,  April  17,  1872.) 
Dear  Friend! 

...  In  regard  to  the  theatre,  I  repeat  the 
following,  as  the  result  of  the  most  mature 
deliberation : 

The  dimensions  of  the  auditorium  as  well  as 
of  the  stage  must  be  so  estimated  that  they  may 
serve  as  the  foundation  of  the  future  massive 
structure,  for  I  wish  to  present  my  patrons  at 
once  with  the  ultimate  ideal  plan  in  a  clear  and 
distinct  form.  The  material  for  the  provisional 
building,  on  the  contrary,  must  be  so  selected  as 
to  meet  only  the  most  necessary  requirements  in 
regard  to  safety. 

Everything  that  can  be  economised  in  the  way 
of  material  will  be  welcome,  and  in  this  direction 


BAYREUTH  87 

it  is  necessary  to  go  to  the  last  extreme.  I  con- 
sent to  an  entire  structure  of  wood,  however 
much  this  will  vex  my  dear  Bayreuth  fellow 
citizens,  who  would  like  very  much  to  see  at  once 
a  building  of  stately  exterior.  In  an  extreme 
case  I  will  adopt  for  the  auditorium  nothing 
more  than  one  of  those  temporary  structures 
which  are  so  much  used  at  present  for  music 
festivals  and  the  like.  I  would  even  accept  the 
obstruction  of  a  balcony,  as  the  entire  thing  is 
only  meant  to  give  the  general  idea.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  heavy  and  ingenious  machinery 
must  be  made  thoroughly  solid;  as  this,  together 
with  the  foundation,  shall,  if  God  wills,  outlast 
our  lightly-put-together  provisionary  structure. 

In  short,  the  material  to  be  reduced  to  a  mini- 
mum. The  expense  which  cannot  be  avoided 
must  be  met  in  some  way.  .  .  . 

For  singers,  musicians,  and  other  personnel,  I 
need  not  far  from  one  hundred  thousand  thalers. 
On  this  point  you  must  have  confidence  in  me !  .  .  . 

If,  from  these  definite  explanations,  you  can 


88  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

feel  that  the  purely  technical  authorities  are  suf- 
ficiently instructed  for  a  conference,  I  should 
prefer  you  to  get  along  without  me,  if  possible, 
dear  friend;  furthermore,  the  telegraph  wire  is 
always  there  for  definite  questions  and  decisions. 
...  At  present  my  plan  is  to  go  to  Vienna  on 
the  6th  of  May  and  arrive  in  Bayreuth  at  the 
latest  on  the  15th.  If  I  am  not  absolutely  needed 
for  the  time  being,  we  shall  return  to  Lucerne 
the  end  of  May,  and  move  to  Bayreuth  in  Octo- 
ber with  child  and  chattel  for  all  time.  .  .  . 
Accept  cordial  greetings,  dear  friend,  from 
Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Friedricii  Feustel 

(Fantaisie,  near  Bayreuth, 
May  3,  1872.) 

Dear,  faithful  Friend! 

...  I  am  so  exhausted  that  I  shall  need  two 
days  of  absolute  rest  in  order  to  fortify  myself 
for  the  approaching  period  of  strenuous  work. 
Therefore  I  shall  not  leave  my  asylum  for  either 


BAYREUTH  89 

to-day  or  to-morrow,  except  in  case  of  extreme 
necessity;  this  necessity,  however,  is  scarcely 
apt  to  arise,  as  our  excellent  burgomaster  holds 
the  key  to  the  entire  situation;  you  yourself  could 
quickly  take  hold,  and,  for  all  musical  arrange- 
ments, my  splendid  conductor,  Hans  Richter,  will 
always  be  on  hand. 

If  you  have  time  to  spare,  may  we  hope  to 
see  you  at  the  Fantaisie? 

With  the  most  cordial  greetings, 
Yours  most  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

No  work  in  the  entire  range  of  musical  litera- 
ture had  made  so  deep  an  impression  upon  Wag- 
ner as  Beethoven's  Ninth  Symphony. 

Through  all  the  phases  of  his  musical  devel- 
opment this  work  remained  for  him  the  highest 
good,  the  perfection  of  all  art;  and  his  belief 
in  the  ultimate  musical  message  which  it  con- 
tained found  expression  in  the  following  words: 

"  There   are  naive   persons   who  continue   to 


9o  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

write  symphonies  without  realising  that  the  last 
symphonic  word  was  written  long  ago." 

It  was  the  impression  created  by  this  work, 
as  heard  at  a  Gewandhaus  Concert  in  Leipzig, 
which  determined  the  eighteen-year-old  student 
of  jurisprudence  to  follow  the  promptings  of  his 
heart  and  become  a  musician.  In  order  to 
familiarise  himself  with  the  work,  he  laboriously 
copied  the  score  and  enthusiastically  went  to 
work  on  a  piano  arrangement.  The  letter  in 
which  he  offers  this  to  the  publishing  house  of 
Schott  in  Mayence  expresses  the  hope  of  "  con- 
tributing in  this  manner  to  a  better  knowledge 
of  this  glorious  Symphony.  The  more  I  famil- 
iarise myself  with  the  great  value  of  this  work, 
the  more  depressed  I  am  at  the  thought  that  it 
is  so  little  known  or  understood  by  the  greater 
part  of  our  musical  public." 

It  is  a  significant  fact  that  the  very  first 
letter  in  the  voluminous  Wagner  correspondence 
should  have  as  its  subject  the  Ninth  Symphony 
of  Beethoven. 


BAYREUTH  91 

During  the  dark  days  of  Wagner's  first  visit 
to  Paris  (1839-42),  he  drew  one  of  his  charac- 
teristic pen  pictures  of  "  a  German  musician  in 
Paris,"  who  dies  a  lonely  death  with  this  con- 
fession of  faith  on  his  lips:  "I  believe  in  God, 
Mozart,  and  Beethoven !  " 

This  German  musician  bears  strong  Wagnerian 
features,  and  the  autobiographical  note  is  em- 
phasised by  the  fact  that  it  was  during  this 
same  period  of  Paris  privation  that  Wagner 
again  heard  the  Beethoven  Symphony,  and  that 
it  again  marked  a  turning-point  in  the  musical 
development  of  the  man  who  was  shipwrecked 
in  this  "  boundless,  brilliant,  dirty  city."  The 
immediate  result  of  this  "  new  birth  "  was  the 
"  Faust "  Overture,  in  which  the  lonely  artist 
gave  expression  to  his  innermost  thoughts  and 
feelings,  as  once  the  lonely  Beethoven  revealed 
his  great  heart  in  the  music  of  his  Ninth 
Symphony. 

The  first  opportunity  Wagner  had  for  initiat- 
ing the  wider  musical  circles  into  the  beauties 


92  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

of  the  work  came  during  the  period  of  his  ac- 
tivity in  Dresden.  When,  in  1846,  he  was  invited 
to  conduct  a  big  concert  on  Palm  Sunday,  the 
Ninth  Symphony  was  the  work  chosen,  and  it 
was  this  occasion  which  called  into  existence 
Wagner's  "  programme  "  of  the  work,  now  con- 
sidered as  the  most  authoritative  exegesis  of  the 
content.  So  indelible  was  the  impression  made 
by  Wagner's  earlier  labour  of  love,  that  he  was 
able  to  conduct  all  the  rehearsals  from  memory. 
The  performance  was  epoch-making  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  Symphony,  which  even  by  such  dis- 
criminating musicians  as  Spohr  and  Mendelssohn 
had  been  pronounced  the  "  abortive  effort  of  a 
boundless  fantasy." 

It  was  but  natural  therefore  that  this  monu- 
mental Symphony,  which  had  always  seemed  to 
him  the  "  point  of  transition  from  purely  instru- 
mental music  to  the  art  work  of  the  future," 
should  be  chosen  by  Wagner  to  crown  the  cere- 
monies connected  with  the  corner-stone  laying 
on  May  22,  1872. 


BAYREUTH  93 

Invitations  to  participate  in  this  Beethoven 
Festival  had  been  widely  distributed,  and  the 
response  with  which  they  met  exceeded  Wagner's 
most  sanguine  expectations.  Riedel's  Choral 
Union  of  Leipzig  and  the  well-known  organisa- 
tion which  Julius  Stern  had  called  into  exist- 
ence in  Berlin,  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  big 
chorus  of  three  hundred  singers  who  placed 
themselves  at  his  disposal;  the  orchestra,  com- 
posed of  one  hundred  master  musicians,  at 
their  head  the  ardent  Wagnerian,  August  Wil- 
helmj,  came  from  Berlin,  Vienna,  Munich,  Leip- 
zig, and  other  German  cities;  the  solo  quartette 
was  made  up  of  Albert  Niemann,  Franz  Betz, 
Marie  Lehmann,  and  Johanna  Jackmann- Wagner. 
Wagner  himself  conducted  the  work,  and  many 
characteristic  anecdotes  have  been  put  on  record 
by  those  present.  Tappert  tells  of  the  difficulty 
which  the  Presto  of  the  last  movement  caused 
the  Master  and  his  men: 

"  Wagner  expressed  a  desire  that  here  all 
rhythms  and  accents  should  disappear  and  that 


94  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

a  flood  of  tone  should  burst  in,  wild  and  irre- 
pressible. It  was  difficult  to  carry  out  this  idea, 
but  after  many  attempts  the  interesting  problem 
was  solved.  When  Betz  got  up  to  sing  the  famous 
phrase,  "  O  friends,  not  these  tones! "  his  mag- 
nificent voice  filled  the  auditorium,  but  still  Wag- 
ner was  not  satisfied.  "  With  more  spirit/'  he 
cried,  "as  if  you  meant  to  say,  'What  awful 
rubbish  you  fellows  are  playing!'  " 

Bachrich,  a  Vienna  musician  who  was  one  of 
the  first  violinists,  relates  Wagner's  instructions 
to  Henschel,  the  well-known  kettle-drummer  of 
the  Berlin  Royal  Orchestra.  In  the  fortissimo 
passage  given  to  the  tympani  just  preceding  the 
entrance  of  the  Choral  Finale,  Wagner  cried  to 
him  excitedly:  "My  dear  Henschel!  Imagine 
that  the  combined  kettle-drums  of  the  whole 
world  are  to  be  heard  in  this  passage.  Play 
away  as  if  the  devil  were  after  you!" 

An  innovation  which  he  introduced,  but  one 
which  seems  not  to  be  followed  by  present-day 
conductors,    was    that    of    placing   two    smaller 


BAYREUTH  95 

choruses  of  men's  voices,  headed  by  Niemann 
and  Betz,  in  the  so-called  '  Trumpeters'  Boxes," 
from  which  vantage-points  the  "  Seid  um- 
schlungen  Millionen  "  was  first  heard,  as  if  a 
mystery  were  being  announced  to  the  body  of 
the  chorus. 

The  idea  which  dominated  Wagner  in  this 
performance  of  the  Ninth  Symphony  was  solely 
that  of  paying  a  tribute  to  the  mighty  genius 
of  Beethoven.     To  his  artists  he  said: 

"  There  will  be  no  programme,  no  announce- 
ments to  be  read  on  the  street  corners;  we  are 
giving  no  concert,  only  making  music  for  our  own 
enjoyment  and  to  show  the  world  how  Beethoven 
should  be  played,  and  may  the  devil  take  him 
who  criticises  us!  " 

The  concert  at  the  old  opera-house  was  pre- 
ceded by  the  ceremony  of  the  laying  of  the 
corner-stone,  the  impressiveness  of  which  event 
was  marred  by  a  downpour  of  rain.  While  a 
regimental  band  played  the  "  March  of  Hom- 
age," which  Wagner  had  written  and  dedicated 


96  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

to  his  royal  patron,  King  Ludwig  of  Bavaria, 
Wagner  took  the  hammer  and  gave  the  first 
three  strokes,  uttering  the  significant  words: 
"  Blessings  on  this  stone;  may  it  stand  long  and 
hold  firmly." 

On  this  day  Wagner  entered  upon  his  sixtieth 
year,  and  all  that  had  gone  before  was  only  a 
preparation  for  this  significant  moment. 

From  the  King  came  a  telegram,  addressed  to 
the  "  German  poet-composer,  Richard  Wagner, 
in  Bayreuth  " : 

From  the  profoundest  depths  of  my  soul  I 
express  to  you,  dearest  friend,  my  warmest  and 
most  sincere  congratulations  on  a  day  of  such 
significance  to  all  Germany.  Blessing  and  pros- 
perity to  the  great  undertaking  next  year. 

To-day  more  than   ever,   I   am   with  you   in 

spirit. 

Ludwig. 

The  chief  treasures  deposited  under  the  cor- 
nerstone   were    this    telegram   and   a    few   lines 


BAYREUTH  97 

written  by  Wagner,  which  have  the  significant 
trend : 

"  Hier  schliess  ich  ein  Geheimnis  ein 
Da  ruh  es  viele  hundert  Jahr ; 
So  lange  es  verwahrt  der  Stein 
Macht  es  der  Welt  sich  offenbar."  * 

Another  incident  connected  with  this  day  has 
no  artistic  significance,  but  throws  a  side-light 
on  Wagner  the  man.  A  simple  Bayreuth  work- 
man in  a  wool  factory  summoned  up  courage 
to  invite  the  man  who  was  the  subject  of  con- 
versation all  over  Europe  to  act  as  godfather 
at  the  christening  of  a  son  born  on  the  day  of 
the  corner-stone  laying.  To  his  joy  Wagner  ac- 
cepted, and  with  his  entire  family  appeared  in 
the  humble  home,  where  he  remained  several 
hours,  delighting  the  entire  company  by  his  high 
spirits  and  unrestrained  good-humour. 

1  The  writer  is  indebted  to  Henry  Finck's  "Wagner  and  His 
Works"  for  the  greater  part  of  the  material  used  in  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  corner-stone  laying. 


9S  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

To  Burgomaster  Theodor  Muncker 

(Fantaisie,  near  Bayreuth, 
May  25,  1872.) 

My  dear  Friend! 

I  am  too  tired  to  come  to  you,  and  yet  it 
distresses  me  not  to  be  able  to  assure  you  im- 
mediately of  the  deep  gratitude  which  I  feel 
for  your  friendship  and  its  extraordinary 
manifestation. 

Your  quiet  and  yet  so  effective  efforts  for  the 
success  of  the  splendid  enterprise  upon  which 
we  can  now  look  back  with  satisfaction,  and 
in  all  of  which  you  showed  yourself  so  consid- 
erate of  my  comfort,  fills  my  memory  as  a  genu- 
ine blessing  from  Heaven. 

With  my  whole  heart  I  greet  you. 
Your  truly  devoted 

Richard  Wagner. 

The  Fantaisie,  where  Wagner  and  his  family 
took  up  their  temporary  abode  during  the  sum- 
mer of  1872,  was  a  pleasure  castle  built  by  the 


BAYREUTH  99 

splendour-loving  Margrave  Friedrich.  This 
monarch  was  the  husband  of  the  witty  and  in- 
telligent Sophie  Wilhelmine,  the  favourite  sister 
of  Frederick  the  Great,  and  her  letters  to  her 
brother,  though  filled  with  scornful  sarcasm,  are 
important  documents  of  the  life  and  customs  of 
the  little  Margravian  Court  in  the  eighteenth 
century. 

June,  1872-December  31,  1874. 
To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Fantaisie,  near  Bayreuth, 
June  12,  1872.) 

Highly  esteemed  Friend! 

As  you  seem  to  have  assumed  the  task  of 
making  my  stay  in  Bayreuth  as  agreeable  as 
possible,  I  beg  of  you  to  communicate  the 
following  requests  to  the  editor  of  the  local 
"  Tageblatt." 

The  editors  will  be  good  enough  to  leave  my 
name  entirely  out  of  their  columns,  except  when 
it  has  to  do  with  an  actual  report  of  my  activity 


ioo     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

here,  and  about  which  they  are  able  to  express 
themselves  with  authority.  To  regale  the  citi- 
zens of  Bayreuth  with  newspaper  gossip  from 
other  places  about  me  in  the  well-known  anec- 
dotal manner,  or  to  report  events,  concerning 
which  their  own  experience  and  exact  knowledge 
does  not  justify  them  in  forming  an  opinion,  will 
prove  the  surest  means  of  spoiling  my  life  for 
me  in  Bayreuth. 

My  request  to  be  spared  such  nonsense  seems 
to  be  permissible,  as  I  assume  the  obligation  of 
giving  the  editors  privately  and  truthfully  all 
necessary  information  in  regard  to  important 
notices.  .  .  . 

With  sincere  thanks  for  all  friendliness  and 
kind  offices, 

Your  truly  devoted 

Richard  Wagner. 


BAYREUTH  101 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Fantaisie,  near  Bayreuth, 
June  15,  1872.) 

Dearest  Friend! 

...  As  to  the  musicians,  it  is  still  a  little 
early!  Children,  children,  I  have  first  other 
lambs  to  be  looked  after! 

Mannheim  will  soon  receive  a  souvenir  from 

Bayreuth  and 

my 

Humble  self  — 

who  recommends  himself  heartily  to  the  Five 

Just  Men. 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Fantaisie,  near  Bayreuth, 
June  22,  1872.) 

Dear  Friend! 

One  cannot  be  too  cautious!  Again  it  has 
happened  that  I  quite  forgot  that  the  person  you 
recommended  was  your  brother-in-law,  and  thus 
I  was  guilty  —  unintentionally  —  of  giving  you 
rather  rude  advice  about  a  man  who  is  related 
to  you! 


102     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

But  truly,  dear  friend,  so  many  questions  like 
this  come  up,  and  as  I  am  now  always  excited 
and  engrossed  with  some  subject,  I  become  con- 
fused and  indignant. 

By  the  way,  there  is  still  plenty  of  time  for 
the  decorations!  I  still  need  two  months  more 
for  my  own  work;  then  I  shall  look  about  me 
to  the  right  and  left  in  Germany,  and  certainly 
I  shall  also  come  to  you  in  Mannheim,  and  God 
will  take  care  of  the  rest. 

Retain  your  friendship  for  me,  and  that  will 
suffice  at  present  for 

Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Fantaisie,  near  Bayreuth, 
July  3,  1872.) 

Dear  Flying  Dutchman  of  Bayreuth! 

As  your  ship  has  again  come  to  anchor,  I  take 
advantage  of  this  rarely  favourable  state  of 
things  to  invite  myself  and  my  wife  to  dinner 


BAYREUTH  103 

on  your  ship  (namely,  at  your  house)  to-morrow, 
Thursday,  at  one  o'clock.  We  beg  you  also  to 
ask  Master  Wolffel  to  join  us  after  dinner  (shall 
we  say  —  at  two  o'clock)  with  his  plans  for  our 
house.  If  our  coming  inconveniences  you,  I  beg 
of  you  to  let  me  have  a  word  from  you  in  order 
that  I  may  keep  a  proper  distance. 

With  the  most  cordial  greetings  from  house 
to  house, 

Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

(Also  soon  to  be  Ship's  Captain.) 

To  Joseph  Hoffmann 

(Fantasie,  near  Bayreuth, 
July  28,  1872.) 
Honoured  Sir! 

It  is  my  intention  to  present  my  Stage  Festival 

Play,   "  The  Ring  of  the   Nibelung,"  according 

to  a  plan  which  can  only  be  realised  on  the  one 

hand  by  a  far-reaching  co-operation  of  the  friends 

of  my  art,  and  on  the  other  by  a  corresponding 

participation  of  the  talent  which  lies  scattered 


io4    THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

in  Germany  for  the  execution  of  the  technical 
part  of  the  work.  In  regard  to  the  scenic  deco- 
rations I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  noth- 
ing can  be  attained  here,  worthy  of  the  German 
name  in  its  best  and  noblest  sense,  if  the  re- 
quired task  is  left  to  our  regular  theatre  deco- 
rators. It  is  most  important  that  we  should  be 
able  to  lay  before  the  cleverest  or  most  experi- 
enced decorative  painters,  sketches  by  genuine 
artists,  in  order  that  the  former  may  be  inspired 
to  an  idealising  of  their  work. 

I  have  already  addressed  myself  to  several 
artists  (historical  painters).  My  attention  has 
recently  been  called  to  your  unusual  work,  es- 
teemed sir,  which  seems  to  approach  very  nearly 
my  requirements.  As  a  result  of  this,  I  feel  jus- 
tified in  making  the  request  that  you  will  con- 
sider it  worth  your  while  to  acquaint  yourself 
with  my  poem,  "  The  Ring  of  the  Nibelung,"  to 
such  an  extent  that  it  would  be  easy  for  you 
to  draw  such  sketches  of  the  chief  scenes,  as  well 
as  the  setting  of  the  same  and  the  characterisa- 


BAYREUTH  105 

tion  of  the  dramatic  figures,  as  would  serve  either 
you  yourself  (provided  you  would  consent  to  as- 
sume this  task)  as  a  model  for  future  working 
out,  or  could  be  turned  over  to  such  decorative 
painters  and  costumiers  as  would  then  have  to 
be  chosen. 

For  the  present  it  is  sufficient  to  have  called 
your  attention  in  general  to  the  matter,  and  as 
soon  as  you  give  me  the  pleasure  of  hearing 
from  you  I  hope  to  find  an  opportunity  of  com- 
ing to  an  agreement  as  to  further  details  with 
you  personally. 

The  first  thing  is  to  thank  you  for  the  gratify- 
ing assurances  on  your  part  which  were  con- 
veyed to  me  by  Herr  Scharf,  and  I  remain  until 
later 

Yours  very  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 


106  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

To  Carl  Brandt 

(Bayreuth,  October  7,  1872.) 
Valued  Friend  and  Associate! 

I  hope  that  within  the  next  few  days  Hoffmann 
will  make  an  appointment  for  a  meeting  here  in 
Bayreuth,  and  I  beg  you  earnestly  not  to  leave 
me  alone  with  him,  as  that  would  defeat  the  en- 
tire purpose   (of  our  conference). 

I  should  like  the  meeting  to  take  place  by  the 
1 2th  of  the  month;  as  soon  as  he  fixes  a  day,  I 
shall  telegraph  you  and  beg  of  you  (to  leave)  the 
time  free  for  eventual  disposition  in  this  matter. 

With  respectful  greetings, 

Yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Carl  Brandt 

(Bayreuth,  October  22,  1872.) 
Valued  Friend  and  Associate! 

.  .  .  On  October  31   the  contracts  are  to  be 

granted.  ...  I  beg  of  you  with  all  my  might 

and  main  to  be  present.     It  is  no  small  matter 


BAYREUTH  107 

to  be  obliged  to  dispense  with  you  in  any  ques- 
tion connected  with  our  undertaking;  you  are 
the  head  and  support  of  the  entire  performance. 
.  .  .  For  the  execution  of  this  undertaking,1  we 
shall  have  to  rely  upon  lucky  inspirations,  and 
these  you  alone  have,  while  from  other  quarters 
I  fear  only  reluctance  and  unwillingness.  There- 
fore my  urgent  request  of  you  to  come  here.  I 
will  also  write  to  Hoffmann  to-day!  The  man 
does  not  displease  me  in  spite  of  the  ponderous- 
ness  which  makes  him  tiresome  now  and  then. 
If,  in  addition  to  his  deep  understanding  of  the 
matter,  he  really  paints  well,  there  is  hope  for 
us.  We  find  no  talent  quite  ready  for  us;  we 
shall  have  to  bring  it  to  maturity. 
With  the  most  cordial  greetings, 

Yours  very  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

Malinda  von  Meysenburg,  who  is  known  in 
German  letters  as  "  The  Beautiful  Idealist,''  was 

1  A  hall  for  the  painters. 


10S     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

a  frequent  guest  in  Bayreuth,  and  one  of  her 
visits  coincided  with  that  of  Brandt  and  Hoff- 
mann, of  whom  she  writes: 

"  We  have  had  Brandt  and  Hoffmann  here, 
and  the  latter  submitted  his  sketches  for  the 
scenery  of  the  '  Nibelung  Ring.' 

"  The  Master  was  pleasantly  surprised  and  very 
much  satisfied  with  them;  they  are  the  work  of 
a  genuine  artist,  who  has  grasped  the  idea  of 
the  poem  with  deep  understanding  and  given  it 
the  setting  worthy  of  Wagner's  intentions. 
Whenever  a  slight  difference  of  opinion  occurred, 
and  the  composer  with  his  poetic  intentions  in 
view  was  obliged  to  require  this  or  that  sacrifice 
of  the  plastic  artist,  this  was  always  done  with 
the  greatest  tact. 

/"  We  had  here  an  example  of  what  is  to  be 
realised  by  the  '  art  work  of  the  future,'  the 
union  of  all  the  arts  into  one  harmonious  whole, 
without  undue  emphasis  being  given  to  one  or 
the  other." 


BAYREUTH  109 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Bayreuth,  November  9,  1872.) 
My  dear,  good  Friend! 

With  some  concern  I  think  of  the  last  day  we 
were  together.  The  chief  cause  of  our  tacit 
anxiety  is  now  removed;  God  knows  what  con- 
fusion there  (Vienna)  prevented  timely  explana- 
tion, but  finally  Kapka  announces  from  Vienna 
that  sixteen  thousand  florins  will  be  ready  for 
us  within  the  next  few  weeks,  and  twenty  thou- 
sand florins  at  Easter.  Although  the  most  cau- 
tious promises  were  made  in  this  connection  (I 
know  for  certain  that  already  more  has  been 
collected),  this  will  suffice  to  convince  friend 
Muncker  that  he  is  justified  in  granting  the 
necessary  contracts.  The  further  information 
which  I  had  from  him  forms  a  new  incentive  for 
me  to  start  on  my  travels  as  soon  as  possible, 
in  order  to  be  able  to  report  the  condition  of 
our  affairs  upon  the  spot.  I  hope  I  shall  have 
only  good  to  report,  and  this  all  the  more  as  I 


no  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

have  resolved  to  work  energetically  everywhere 
in  procuring  the  necessary  funds. 

Under  these  circumstances  and  with  these  in- 
tentions nothing  remains  for  me  to-day,  on  the 
eve  of  my  departure,  but  to  send  you  my  most 
cordial  greetings,  and  to  repeat  the  assurance 
that  your  love  and  friendship  count  for  very 
much  with  me,  and  that  my  gratitude  for  your 
assistance  so  active  and  effective  in  all  directions 
will  never  be  diminished. 

From  my  whole  heart, 

Yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 


TOUR  OF   INSPECTION 

On  November  10,  1872,  Wagner,  accompanied 
by  his  wife,  started  out  on  what  he  called  a 
"  tour  of  inspection,"  which  meant  a  visit  to  the 
various  German  opera  houses  in  search  of  mate- 
rial for  his  first  production  of  the  "  Ring." 

That  he  did  this  not  without  misgivings  is  to 
be  seen  from  a  line  in  one  of  his  letters :  "  I 
must  now  have  a  look  at  the  singers  of  Germany. 
.  .  .  What  shall  I  not  learn?  ?  ?     Sighs!" 

He  had  been  so  long  absent  from  Germany 
that  he  had  got  quite  out  of  touch  with  oper- 
atic conditions,  and  it  was  necessary  for  him 
to  establish  again  a  point  of  personal  contact. 
The  conditions  with  which  he  met  were  on  the 
whole  discouraging,  and  he  did  not  hesitate  to 
beat  a  precipitate  retreat  from  any  performance 
which  did  not  meet  with  his  approval,  a  course 


ii2     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

which  naturally  increased  the  number  of  his 
enemies.  In  Frankfort  he  attended  a  perform- 
ance of  Meyerbeer's  "  Prophet,"  and  found  that 
"  the  presentation  of  such  a  Meyerbeer  opera  in 
our  larger  and  smaller  theatres  is  the  most  non- 
sensical and  undignified  procedure  that  a  tortured 
fantasy  can  imagine,  and  the  worst  of  it  is  the 
stupid  seriousness  with  which  the  most  ridiculous 
things  are  accepted  by  a  gaping  public." 

In  Darmstadt  he  was  present  at  a  performance 
of  Auber's  "  The  Mason,"  but  was  so  indignant 
that  he  abruptly  left  the  house  and  thus,  as  he 
expressed  it,  "  stamped  himself  as  a  barbarian 
in  the  eyes  of  the  management." 

In  Mannheim  he  was  the  guest  of  Emil  Heckel, 
the  chief  of  his  "  just  men,"  and  in  the  latter's 
music  room  a  circle  of  the  elect  were  allowed  to 
listen  to  one  of  Wagner's  incomparable  readings 
of  the  "  Gotterdammerung." 

He  knew  enough  of  hearsay  to  expect  to  find 
his  own  works  misrepresented  and  mutilated,  and 
had  partially  steeled  himself  with  resignation  to 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  113 

meet  this  state  of  affairs.  But  in  spite  of  this 
a  much  abbreviated  performance  of  his  "  Fliegen- 
der  Hollander  "  in  Mannheim  so  excited  his  in- 
dignation that  he  left  the  theatre  oblivious  of  the 
applause  intended  for  the  composer. 

In  Carlsruhe  he  found  that  the  big  festival 
scene  in  the  second  act  of  "  Tannhauser '  was 
presented  in  such  a  manner  "  as  to  give  the 
knights  and  ladies  of  honour  the  appearance  of 
executing  a  cliasse  croisc  of  the  contra-dance." 

Everywhere  he  was  obliged  to  listen  to  frag- 
ments of  his  works  lustily  played  by  the  regi- 
mental bands ;  but  this  was  accepted  by  him  with 
fortitude,  when  the  necessity  for  this  was  made 
clear  to  him  as  an  impetus  to  his  cause. 

From  Mayence  he  writes :  "  Music  corps  to  the 
front  of  us,  music  corps  to  the  rear  of  us  —  all 
blowing  the  Bayreuth  horn !  " 

In  Mayence  he  also  made  the  acquaintance  of 
his  publisher,  Franz  Schott,  and  attended  a  "  Fi- 
delio  "  performance,  which,  on  the  whole,  met 
with  his  approval. 


ii4  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

In  Cologne  he  grew  sarcastic  over  a  perform- 
ance of  Mozart's  "  Magic  Flute  "  because  at  the 
entrance  of  the  "  Queen  of  the  Night '  an  in- 
different stage  management  had  neglected  to 
shift  the  scene  from  bright  daylight  to  darkness. 

A  visit  to  Cologne  was  like  taking  the  war 
into  the  enemy's  country  on  account  of  the  in- 
fluence exerted  by  Ferdinand  Hiller,  an  ardent 
non- Wagnerian.  Glasenapp  relates  a  delightful 
episode  which  occurred  at  a  banquet  given  in  his 
honour  here.  "  A  military  band  was  stationed 
in  a  neighbouring  balcony  to  play  the  '  Tann- 
hauser  '  Overture  as  an  act  of  homage  to  the 
distinguished  composer.  This  was  followed  by 
the  '  Freischiitz  '  Overture  of  Carl  Maria  von 
Weber,  during  the  performance  of  which  the 
Master  was  noticed  moving  about  uneasily  in  his 
chair.  Suddenly  he  sprang  up,  and  before  his 
surprised  neighbours  at  the  table  knew  what  he 
was  about,  he  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  players. 
At  a  sign  from  the  director  the  music  ceased 
and  all  the  musicians  arose. 


TOUR  OF   INSPECTION  115 

"  '  Gentlemen,'  began  Wagner,  after  apologis- 
ing for  the  interruption,  '  I  have  heard  this  over- 
ture under  the  baton  of  the  composer  himself 
and  have  preserved  his  traditions,  particularly 
the  interpretation  of  the  latter  part.  If  you  will 
permit  me,  I  shall  show  you  this,  for  your 
future  performances  of  this  composition.' 

"  He  seized  the  baton,  indicated  the  passage, 
and  had  it  played  a  number  of  times.  The  young 
musicians,  as  in  a  dream,  hung  upon  his  every 
motion,  and  never  forgot  the  evening  when  the 
great  German  Master,  who  until  then  had  been 
only  a  gigantic  mythical  figure  to  them,  had  con- 
ducted their  performance  in  person!' 

Wagner  embodied  the  impressions  he  had 
gained  during  this  tour  of  inspection  in  a  paper 
on  "  A  Survey  of  the  Present  Condition  of  Ger- 
man Opera,"  which  appeared  in  the  Leipzig 
"  Musikalisches  Wochenblatt." 

After  spending  the  Christmas  holidays  with 
his  family  in  Bayreuth,  he  again  fared  forth, 
accompanied  as  ever  by  his  faithful  wife,  to  look 


n6  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

about  him  in  North  Germany.  In  a  banquet 
given  in  his  honour  in  Dresden  he  said: 

'  I  declare  that  my  sole  support  is  in  the  ar- 
tists! If  I  still  cherish  any  hope  it  is  not  in 
those  who  talk  about  art  but  those  who  of  a  truth 
practise  it  —  the  musicians  and  the  singers.  I 
know  that  I  can  make  myself  understood  by  them 
everywhere." 

In  regard  to  his  Bayreuth  project  he  said:  "  I 
cannot  make  my  work  a  '  national '  one ;  that 
must  be  left  to  others,  to  the  scattered  friends  of 
my  art." 

Incidentally  he  conducted  a  few  concerts,  but 
this  he  always  did  reluctantly. 

"  I  have  an  aversion  amounting  to  bitterness 
against  concert-giving  and  I  simply  cannot  ex- 
pose myself  to  the  tremendous  strain,  however 
necessary  each  thousand  thalers  to  be  gained  in 
this  way  is  to  the  success  of  our  undertaking." 

From  Dresden  he  went  to  Berlin,  where,  in  the 
presence  of  an  exclusive  audience  composed  of 
the  aristocracy  and  haute  finance  of  the  Prussian 


TOUR  OF   INSPECTION  117 

capital,  he  gave  a  reading  of  his  "  Gotterdam- 
merung  "  text. 

This  reading  was  so  coloured  by  Wagner's 
personality,  by  his  running  commentary  on  his 
views  in  general  as  to  the  opera,  and  his  ideas 
as  to  the  significance  of  the  dialogue,  that  the 
effect  upon  the  audience  was  electrifying,  and  the 
concrete  result  of  his  Berlin  visit  was  twenty 
Patrons'  Certificates. 

In  Hamburg  he  was  received  with  as  much 
honour  as  a  visiting  monarch,  and  here  he  gave 
a  memorable  performance  of  Beethoven's  Fifth 
Symphony. 

After  a  visit  to  Schwerin,  where  he  succeeded 
in  interesting  the  Grand  Duke  in  the  Bayreuth 
enterprise,  he  returned  to  Berlin  to  conduct  a 
concert  arranged  by  the  Wagner  Society  —  an 
event  which  the  anti-Wagnerian  party  tried  in 
every  way  to  prevent  from  being  a  success. 

The  Intendant  of  the  Royal  Opera  House, 
Herr  V.  Hiilsen,  the  father  of  the  present  in- 
cumbent of  this  influential   position,   when   ap- 


n8  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

proached  in  regard  to  securing  the  Opera  House 
for  the  concert,  answered  that:  "  It  was  not  cus- 
tomary to  allow  the  Royal  Opera  House  to  be 
used  for  a  private  concert.  This  he  could  do 
only  by  the  special  permission  of  the  Emperor, 
and  he  did  not  feel  justified  in  approaching  His 
Majesty  with  such  a  request,  as,  with  all  due 
recognition  of  the  artistic  ability  of  Richard 
Wagner,  he  would  nevertheless  hesitate  about 
showing  such  unusual  consideration  to  this 
composer." 

The  conductor  of  the  Berlin  Symphony  Or- 
chestra dismissed  three  of  his  men  who  had  taken 
part  in  the  Wagner  concert.  But  in  spite  of  this 
opposition  in  high  places,  the  concert  was  a 
memorable  musical  event!  The  Emperor,  the 
Empress,  and  the  entire  court  were  present,  and 
such  enthusiasm  had  never  before  been  witnessed 
in  Berlin.  Upon  their  return  to  Bayreuth  Frau 
Wagner  wrote  in  a  letter :  "  Yesterday  your  uncle 
sadly  remarked  that  of  all  the  persons  whom  he 
has  now  won  for  his  cause,  who  run  to  his  con- 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  119 

certs  and  become  patrons  out  of  a  feeling  of 
personal  sympathy,  not  one  really  comprehends 
his  work,  and  that  he  himself  is  the  only  one 
who  understands  and  can  defend  his  ideas.  .  .  . 
"  This  splendid  isolation,  which  your  uncle 
feels  at  times,  has  always  compelled  my  love 
from  the  very  first;  I  cannot  always  comprehend 
his  intentions  and  his  ability  to  execute  them,1 
and  often  ask  myself  which  power  will  prove 
stronger  in  the  end  —  his,  or  that  of  the  world 
in  which  he  lives !  " 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Darmstadt,  November  20,  1872.) 
My  dear  Friend! 

Are  you  at  home?  How  are  you?  In  good 
spirits?  —  or  otherwise?  I  have  now  swallowed 
four  theatres  and  have  unfortunately  been 
obliged  to  participate  in  many  gala  dinners  and 
friendly  meals.  Up  to  the  present  I  have  only- 
one  singer  as  definite  booty,  and  this  one,  in  fact, 

1  In  the  original,  "Wollen  und  Konnen." 


120     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

here  in  Darmstadt;  she  is  of  great  (if  as  yet 
unknown)  excellence.  This  evening  a  festival 
banquet  by  the  Wagner  Society !  —  Heckel  will 
report  to  you  in  a  few  days  from  Mannheim  his 
financial  condition  and  announce  himself  ready 
to  make  payments  at  any  time.  Notifications  of 
Patrons'  Certificates  I  shall  announce  to  you  next 
time.  I  shall  labour  zealously  —  in  fact,  prob- 
ably conduct  a  concert  in  Hamburg.  To-morrow 
I  shall  be  in  Stuttgart.  From  Basel  we  then  go 
—  through  Mayence  (Wiesbaden),  first  to  Co- 
logne, with  Aix-la-Chapelle,  Diisseldorf,  etc.  At 
all  events,  we  shall  return  from  our  first  excur- 
sion before  Christmas  for  a  short  time  to  our 
dear  Bayreuth.  (I  would  gladly  give,  as  a 
Christmas  present  to  anyone  who  could  have 
relieved  me  from  this  trip,  all  the  honours  and 
festivities  which  have  fallen  to  me.) 

How  is  everything  going  on  at  home?  Are 
all  well  and  healthy  in  the  Faustelei?  Is  Muncker 
merry?  And  our  dears?  Do  you  three  dear 
friends,    who    constitute   our    new    home,    think 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  121 

kindly  of  us?  I  hope  so,  and  in  this  hope  re- 
main—  to  you  and  yours  —  your  faithful  grate- 
ful friend, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Wiesbaden,  November  29,  1872.) 
My  dear  Friend! 

Briefly,  greetings,  thanks,  and  other  things! 

I  visited  the  Grand  Duke  of  Baden,  and  be- 
lieve I  have  accomplished  something  by  so  doing. 
Be  so  kind  as  to  send  the  Grand  Duke  directly 
in  my  name  (as  I  promised  him)  the  recent  re- 
port (of  which  copies  are  still  to  be  had?),  as 
well  as  our  earlier  printed  circulars  with  one  (or 
more?)  Patrons'  Certificate,  and  enclose  also  the 
photograph  of  the  theatre  which  is  now  ready. 

The  Societies  of  Darmstadt  and  Mayence  have 
surprised  and  delighted  me,  and  there  was  no 
lack  of  regimental  music  in  the  streets.  You 
will  soon  receive  a  more  accurately  specified  sug- 
gestion from  me  as  to  what  I  consider  the  right 


122     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

course  to  take  with  the  societies.  ...  It  has  to 
do  with  an  appeal  to  the  societies  for  more 
vigorous  measures  in  order  to  secure  the  neces- 
sary results  by  the  end  of  January.  .  .  . 

We  travel  in  all  directions,  grow  very  fatigued, 
but  shall  manage  to  hold  out.  After  Cologne, 
Aix-la-Chapelle,  Diisseldorf,  Hanover,  Bremen, 
Braunschweig,  Cassel,  in  order  that  we  may 
merit  a  quiet  Christmas  in  Bayreuth  with  the 
children  and  our  dear  friends.  At  New  Year 
we  start  out  again  for  a  long  time! 

Cordial  greetings  to  you,  the  family  and 
friends! 

Yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Bayreuth,  January  14,  1873.) 
Dear  Friend! 

Just  returned  home,  I  receive  through  Frau 

von  Schleinitz  the  news  that  a  draft  for 

500  Pounds  Sterling 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  123 

from  the  Khedive  of  Egypt  is  on  the  way  for 
Patrons'  Certificates,  which  I  wished  to  announce 
to  you,  in  order  to  restore  your  good  spirits. 

Your  faithful 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Carl  Brandt 

(Bayreuth,  February  16,  1873.) 

My  highly  esteemed  dear  Friend  and  Associate! 
If  I  remain  silent  so  long,  must  you  also  let 
nothing  be  heard  from  you?  As  far  as  I  am 
concerned,  I  require  a  great  deal  of  good  news 
from  you.  You  have  heard,  no  doubt,  how  tor- 
mented I  was?  Finally,  I  was  obliged  to  start 
out  on  a  predatory  excursion  in  order  to  keep 
our  administrative  council  afloat  at  all  hazards. 
In  this  respect  the  expedition  to  the  North  has 
done  much  good  and  opened  up  to  us  significant 
sources  of  assistance.  At  present  I  am  letting 
my  back  heal  from  the  scourging  it  has  received, 
in  order  to  resign  it  to  the  executioner  again  in 
March ! 


124     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

But  now  one  thing!  Can  you  not  get  after 
Briickwald  energetically  and  induce  him  to  fur- 
nish us  with  the  interior  of  the  theatre  accord- 
ing to  our  recent  decisions?  It  makes  me,  and 
also  others,  appear  ridiculous  to  be  able  only 
to  show  to  parties  interested  in  our  theatre  the 
very  uninteresting  exterior,  but  not  the  interior 
for  which  all  are  eagerly  waiting.  I  wish  very 
much  to  have  this,  as  I  should  like  to  use  it  as 
an  engraving  in  connection  with  a  little  treatise 
of  mine  on  the  construction  of  theatres.  / 

Do  take  the  architect  soundly  in  hand!  .  .  . 
God  bless  you,  my  dear  friend,  you  '  pillar  of 
my  temple !  " 

Cordial  greetings  to  the  excellent  committee 
of  the  Wagner  Society.  They  were  the  first  — 
then  the  matter  went  further!  —  and  may  they 
collect  much  money;  I  hope  soon  to  accomplish 
miracles! 

Your  faithful  compagnon  and  associe, 

Richard  Wagner. 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  125 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Bayreuth,  February  18,  1873.) 

Oh!  my  Friend! 

It  is  really  audacious  of  you  to  pretend  to  live 
in  Bayreuth !  One  should  come  here  in  order  to 
be  sure  that  he  has  come  to  the  only  place  where 
you  are  not! 

Well,  I  am  not  much  better  myself,  either 
at  present  or  in  the  future.  Therefore  —  r^ 
reproaches ! 

And  herewith  —  to  business ! 

.  .  .  Herr  Nettke  claims  that  the  rich  banker, 
Emile  Erlanger  in  Paris,  has  declared  his  inten- 
tion of  giving  ten  thousand  thaler  for  Bayreuth ! 
.  .  .  Erlanger,  who  has  clearly  shown  himself 
very  devoted  to  me,  is  said  to  be  frightfully  rich 
now.  We  should  bestir  ourselves  seriously  in 
securing  the  co-operation  of  this  man. 

And  when  are  you  coming  back?  You  will 
not  find  me  particularly  recovered;  it  was  a  ter- 
rible strain  on  me  this  time.     However  —  what 


126     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

must  be  —  let  it  come !     Farewell,   and  remain 
true  to  your  faithfully  devoted  compagnon, 

Richard  Wagner. 

On  my  way  back  from  Austria,  about  the  end 
of  March,  I  intend  to  stop  in  Munich  for  a  few 
days  —  to  the  consternation  of  this  and  that 
person'  ! 

The  Baron  Erlanger  mentioned  in  the  above 
letters  was  the  financier  recommended  by  Slidell 
(at  that  time  Special  Envoy  to  the  Court  of 
France  from  the  Confederate  government)  as 
a  suitable  person  for  bringing  out  the  Confed- 
erate loan  in  1862. 

The  finances  of  the  new  Confederacy  were  in 
a  bad  state,  there  were  heavy  debts  in  Europe, 
and  unless  the  bills  were  paid  there  would  be 
an  end  of  supplies.  England  was  suffering  for 
cotton,  and  the  time  seemed  propitious  for  the 
successful  negotiation  based  on  this  commodity. 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  127 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Bayreuth,  July  22,  1873.) 

Dear  and  valued  Friend! 

I  informed  the  Burgomaster  yesterday  that  I 
wished  that  the  festivities  connected  with  the 
house-raising  of  our  theatre  (which  are  set  for 
Saturday)  might  be  extended  to  include  the 
highly  deserving  local  Wagner  Society.  I  have 
it  at  heart  to  introduce  myself  to  them  on  this 
occasion  and  to  express  my  thanks  to  them. 
Will  you  give  the  matter  the  necessary 
consideration? 

Possibly  notice  of  this  outside  of  Bayreuth 
could  be  made  in  good  time  through  four  lead- 
ing newspapers,  and  in  that  way  furnish  welcome 
intelligence  to  many  friends  and  patrons  who 
have  in  view  a  visit  to  Bayreuth. 

Cordial  greetings  from 

Your  grateful  and  devoted 

Richard  Wagner. 


128  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

To  Carl  Brandt 

(Bayreuth,  August  4,  1873.) 
Esteemed  Colleague! 

.  .  .  Our  Hcbefest  was  very  delightful  and 
favoured  by  glorious  weather;  I — almost  thought 
you  would  find  your  way  to  us  this  day!  Liszt, 
my  wife,  and  children  were  with  me  on  the  roof. 
Good  spirits  prevailed. 

May  God  bless  your  entrevue  with  Hoffmann ! 

Be  faithful  to  me  and  —  if  you  are  always  on 

the  wing  —  don't  forget  your  faithful  friends  in 

Bavreuth ! 

Yours  cordially, 

Richard  Wagner. 

The  devotion  of  Liszt  to  his  aristocratic  friend, 
Princess  Wittgenstein,  had  led  him  to  accede  to 
her  wishes  and  hold  himself  aloof  from  Wagner 
even  at  such  decisive  moments  as  the  laying  of 
the  corner-stone.  The  Princess,  in  her  wish  to 
guard  jealously  the  musical  reputation  of  her 
lover,  had  denied  the  great  genius  of  Wagner, 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  129 

and  had  frustrated  the  overtures  made  by  the 
latter  for  a  meeting. 

But  Wagner  had  a  strong  personal  affection 
for  Liszt,  in  addition  to  the  gratitude  he  owed 
him  as  artistic  sponsor  of  his  works,  and  per- 
sisted in  his  efforts  to  remove  the  restraint  of 
many  years'  standing  by  taking  advantage  of 
Liszt's  yearly  visit  to  Weimar  to  resume  friendly 
relations. 

Together  with  his  wife,  he  spent  three  delight- 
ful days  in  Weimar,  and,  the  ice  once  broken, 
the  friendship  of  the  two  great  composers  was 
never  allowed  to  suffer  another  interruption. 
Liszt  paid  yearly  visits  to  Bayreuth,  and  it  was 
here  that  he  died  and  was  buried  on  July  31, 
1886. 

Liszt's  first  visit  after  this  period  of  estrange- 
ment was  timed  to  coincide  with  the  festivities 
connected  with  the  "  house-raising  "  of  the  new 
Festival  Theatre.  According  to  an  old  German 
custom,  this  is  primarily  a  fete  of  the  workmen, 
and   Wagner,    who   with   his    family   and   Liszt 


130     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

formed  a  group  on  the  roof,  made  a  speech  in 
verse  in  which  humorous  reference  was  made 
to  his  trusty  band  of  co-workers  and  manual 
assistants. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Bayreuth,  August  8,  1873.) 
Dear  Friend! 

...  I  cannot  leave  the  house  for  three  days 
for  the  following  reason.  The  King  of  Bavaria 
expects  a  dedicatory  gift  from  me  on  every  birth- 
day; a  year  ago  I  was  able  to  send  him  the  third 
act  of  "  Gotterdammerung  "  in  manuscript;  this 
time  I  should  have  had  nothing  had  I  not  been 
able  to  use  for  this  purpose  the  edition  of  my 
complete  writings  which  is  just  ready. 

Therefore  I  instructed  my  publisher  to  deliver 
into  my  hands  by  the  20th  of  August  a  copy 
dc  luxe  of  the  ninth  volume  in  order  that  it  might 
be  bound  and  sent  off  to  Munich  in  good  time. 
This  has  been  promised  me,  only  under  the  ex- 
plicit condition,  however,  that  I  return  the  proofs 
immediately.     In  addition  to  this,   I  have  just 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  131 

received  a  letter  from  the  Court  Councillor, 
Diifflipp,  in  which  the  King  reminds  me  that  he 
expects  something  from  me.  .  .  ." 

These  nine  volumes  of  "  Complete  Writings  " 
were  sent  to  King  Ludwig  accompanied  by  a 
poem  comparing  them  to  the  Sibylline  books  of 
ancient  Rome: 

'  Neun  Biicher  bot  dem  Konig  Roms  Sibylle 
Neun  biet  ich  Dir ;   erf ulle  sie  Dein  Wille !  " 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  September  19,  1873.) 
Dear  Friend  Heckel! 

He  who  is  once  just  will  always  remain  so. 
Accept  thanks  for  your  friendly  information. 
Louis  XIV  said  to  Jean  Bart,  "  I  could  wish  for 
five  hundred  persons  like  you !  '  Whereupon  he 
answered,    '  Sire,  I  can  well  believe  that ! ' 

You  could  make  the  same  answer  if  1  wished 
for  a  dozen  Heckels  with  his  just  companions 
in  Germany. 

As  to  the  rest,  you  are  all  peculiarly  exacting 


132     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

people!  And  you  really  think  you  must  warn 
me  explicitly  against  accomplishing  my  purpose 
by  means  of  a  joint  stock  company.  Is  that  all 
then  my  circular  meant?  Now,  God  knows!  I 
did  n't  so  understand  it ;  whatever  I  may  have 
hinted  at  in  this  respect  was  only  with  a  view 
to  humiliating  the  Germanic  public!  It  was 
again  a  most  unpleasant  experience  to  find  that 
the  whole  thing  had  been  given  to  our  beloved 
press  even  before  I  had  received  the  slightest 
notice  from  anyone  to  whom  the  circular  had 
been  sent.  What  kind  of  people  are  my  patrons ! 
To  run  immediately  to  the  newspapers  with 
everything,  as  if  it  had  only  been  gotten  up 
for  that  purpose! 

Now,  you  will  have  to  go  to  work  to  undo 
this  mischief  in  whatever  way  you  think  best, 
and  you  will  have  done  a  good  deed.  In  the 
future  I  shall  be  more  guarded;  the  public  can 
write  and  gossip  —  also  give  hundreds  and  thou- 
sands  of  suggestions.  But  to  do  something  — 
that  only  the  "just  men"  do! 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  133 

The  chief  thing  is  that  we  soon  come  to  an 
agreement  regarding  a  renewed  attempt  in  the 
matter;  subscription  lists  must  be  printed  and 
sent  around;  a  few  can  give  (let  us  say,  for 
a  national  object)  a  hundred  thaler;  some  fifty, 
still  more  twenty,  and  a  great  many  ten  thaler, 

—  namely,  such  as  could  be  persuaded  to  sup- 
port so  great  an  undertaking,  without  having  any 
special  interest  which  could  determine  them  at 
any  time  to  make  the  trip  to  Bayreuth  for  the 
purpose  of  being  present  at  the  performances. 

You  should  work  out  a  sketch  for  a  well- 
organised  agitation  of  this  sort  and  send  it  to 
me  for  my  approval,  and  then,  armed  with  my 
permission,  bring  the  matter  before  the  people 
with  frightful  publicity,  so  that  no  one  can  say, 
"  Yes,  but  I  know  nothing  whatever  about  it ' 

—  as  I  meet  with  so  often. 

Well!  I  hope  to  see  you  here  soon!  I  shall 
give  no  more  concerts.  They  only  do  harm  in- 
stead of  inciting  to  further  effort;  everyone 
thinks   that  enough   has  been   accomplished  by 


i34  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

these  concert  receipts,  and  then  all  is  up  with 
the  matter.  So  it  is  with  Cologne,  where, 
as  a  result  of  the  concert,  the  Wagner  Society 
has  accomplished  absolutely  nothing.  On  the 
whole  — ! 

Now  cordial  greetings  to  the  just  men,  particu- 
larly the  miracle  doctor,  also,  greetings  to  you 
and  your  dear  wife  from  me  and  mine. 

Yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 

A  second  appeal  had  been  sent  out  on  August 
31,  1873,  stating  that  unless  fresh  help  came 
work  in  the  building  would  have  to  be  suspended, 
and  containing  an  invitation  to  the  friends  and 
patrons  of  his  undertaking  to  be  present  at  a 
conference  to  be  held  in  Bayreuth  October  31. 

Wagner  had  in  mind  a  widespread  national 
subscription,  but  did  not  wish  that  either  he  or 
his  council  should  take  the  initiative  in  the  mat- 
ter, but  that  this  should  be  assumed  by  a  con- 
sortium of  wealthy  and  influential  men. 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  135 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Bayreuth,  September  30,  1873.) 
My  dear  Friend! 

I  thank  you  for  your  renewed  efforts  with 
Wolfel;  only  I  should  like  to  beg  you  earnestly 
to  attend  in  person  the  proposed  conference, 
whether  it  takes  place  on  Monday  or  Tuesday! 
However  unjust  it  may  be  on  my  part  to  lay 
such  strong  claims  upon  your  friendship  for  me, 
I  should  not  know  what  to  do  without  your  as- 
sistance; for  your  consolation  in  the  future,  I 
promise  you  that  I  shall  never  have  another 
house  built  for  me,  not  even  in  Germany. 

My  circular,  by  the  way,  begins  to  bear  good 
fruits.  Among  other  things,  I  was  touched  to-day 
by  the  notification  of  a  one-third  patron  in  Aus- 
tria, who  wrote  that  he  had  sent  Heckel  two 
hundred  thaler  in  order  that  he  might  become 
a  full  patron. 

If  a  mason  with  a  broken  nose  presents  him- 
self to  you,  with  a  card  from  me,  I  beg  you  to 


136     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

give  him  a  fee  of  ten  florins  from  the  building 
fund;  from  the  time  of  the  corner-stone  laying 
he  has  worked  day  after  day  in  the  building  and 
has  always  impressed  me  favourably  by  his  dili- 
gence and  friendly  attitude. 

He  was  dismissed  from  work  this  evening  and 
took  a  very  decent  leave. 

Therefore  —  everything  considered  —  remain 
kind  to  your 

Ever  grateful 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  September  30,  1873.) 

Dearest  Friend! 

The  answer  to  your  letter,  or  rather  sugges- 
tion, really  demands  some  deliberation. 

I  have  no  word  to  say  as  to  the  manner  in 
which  the  Mannheim  society  deems  proper  to 
serve  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  founded:  at 
any  rate,  as  it  called  into  existence  the  idea  of 
the    Wagner    Societies,   it   also  has   a   right   to 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  137 

take  the  initiative;  and  the  honour  of  being  the 
champion  in  this  matter  will  be  contested  by  no 
one. 

Only  be  cautious  in  boasting  about  me;  we 
could  not  count  on  Chicago  and  London  quite 
so  unconditionally;  in  both  cities  a  new  theatre 
had  already  been  built  and  was  to  be  fitted  out 
according  to  my  wishes  —  only,  however,  if  I 
would  assume  personal  control,  in  which  case 
the  personnel  of  the  artists  should  be  selected 
according  to  my  choice.  This  refers  to  my  opera 
in  general.  But  we  now  come  to  the  decisive 
point :  in  Berlin  a  "  Wagneriana "  has  been 
formed  with  subscriptions  already  amounting  to 
two  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  thaler,  and  the 
prospect  of  a  million  is  held  out  to  me  if  I  will 
transfer  Bayreuth  (with  modifications)  to  Ber- 
lin; the  same  offer  would  have  been  immeasur- 
ably easier  for  Vienna  than  to  have  collected 
money  there  for  Bayreuth.  It  is  therefore  not 
proven  that  my  theatre  would  not  have  been  built 
for  me  in  a  large  German  metropolis;   but  the 


138  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

vital  point  lies  in  the  fact  that  I  had  in  mind 
an  undertaking  for  the  benefit  of  the  entire 
German  nation  in  a  neutral  spot,  and  not 
for  the  people  of  one  certain  city.  Cities  (like 
Chicago,  etc.)  will  perhaps  also  be  found  in 
Germany,  but  —  the  German  public  is  not  to  be 
found. 

In  regard  to  the  drawing  up  and  issuing  of 
a  subscription  list  it  would  perhaps  be  more  ad- 
visable if  this  were  done  by  a  consortium  of  in- 
fluential men  from  the  various  German  cities. 
In  this  matter  I  am  already  somewhat  bound,  as 
a  rich  and  energetic  Hamburg  merchant  intends 
to  call  together  such  a  meeting  for  the  15th  of 
October. 

Will  you  not  put  yourself  in  touch  with  him? 
He  wished,  at  all  events,  to  communicate  with 
you. 

If  you  take  any  steps  towards  issuing  a  mani- 
festo (which  might  be  very  effective),  I  shall  re- 
quest you  to  consult   with   Nietzsche  as  to  its 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  139 

wording;  at  all  events,  you  can  first  invite  him 
to  draw  up  such  a  manifesto.  For  this  I  have 
quite  especial  confidence  in  him  —  particularly 
in  him  .  .  . 

I  am  tired,  God  knows,  but  send  you  and  yours 
cordial  greetings. 

Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

An  episode  which  should  have  been  humiliat- 
ing to  Wagner's  countrymen  was  the  liberal  offer 
made  to  him  by  Chicago. 

This  city  wished  to  celebrate  its  renascence 
after  the  "  Great  Fire  "  of  1871  by  building  a 
theatre  for  Wagner,  over  which  he  was  to  as- 
sume the  personal  direction,  with  the  liberty  of 
choosing  his  own  personnel. 

This  offer  he  was  unable  to  accept,  but  the 
confidence  in  his  art,  which  a  city  was  ready  to 
give,  deeply  touched  him,  and  more  than  once, 
in  moments  of  deepest  depression,  he  referred 
to  this  offer,   and  often  gave  expression  to  a 


i4o     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

lingering  regret  that  he  had  not  taken  his  art 
work  and  his  family  to  a  land  which  held  out 
such  hospitable  arms  to  him  and  his  ideas. 

Later  he  wrote:  "  Great  Heavens!  Such  sums 
as  I  should  have  earned  in  America!  People 
ought  to  be  willing  to  give  me  a  present,  without 
asking  in  return  anything  more  than  what  I  am 
now  doing,  and  which  is  the  very  best  I  am  able 
to  do." 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  October  17,  1873.) 

My  dear  Friend! 

The  "  Conference  "  was  again  a  —  More 
about  this  verbally! 

Let  us  abide  by  the  delegates'  meeting.  If 
there  are  only  a  few  of  us,  we  at  least  represent 
something  —  namely,  the  Wagner  Societies.  A 
manifesto  can  very  properly  be  issued  in  their 
name.  My  wife  has  written  you  concerning 
this. 

Now,  do  come,  and  if  possible  bring  Zeroni 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  141 

with  you.     My  opinion  is  that  eventually  every- 
thing will  go  well. 

With  the  most  cordial  greetings, 
Yours  respectfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Burgomaster  Theodor  Muncker 

(Bayreuth,  October  31,  1873.) 
Dearest  Burgomaster! 

Here  are  sample  copies  of  a  Manifesto  drawn 
up  by  Professor  Nietzsche,  and  which  I  wish  dis- 
tributed for  temporary  cognisance  to  the  dele- 
gates who  have  arrived  and  those  yet  to  come. 

Who  can  best  look  after  this  matter?  In  fact, 
hozv  can  I  best  learn  who  has  arrived?  (I  have 
also  to  bear  in  mind  the  dinner-table,  in  regard 
to  the  number  of  covers.)  At  present  I  knozv  of 
only  Nietzsche,  Heckel,  Ballingad,  and  M.  du 
Moulin.  Unfortunately  I  am  much  embarrassed 
by  my  lack  of  servants. 

Pardon  me  and  remain  kindly  disposed  toward 
Yours  most  respectfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 


i42     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

The  last  day  of  October  came,  and  with  it  a 
number  of  delegates  representing  the  Wagner 
Societies  and  the  Society  of  Patrons. 

Friedrich  Nietzsche,  who  was  one  of  these 
delegates  and  had  brought  with  him  the  desired 
proclamation,  wrote  to  a  friend:  "After  a  tour 
of  inspection  in  mud,  fog,  and  darkness,  a  con- 
ference was  held  in  the  city  hall,  when  my  appeal 
was  read  and  politely  but  firmly  rejected.  I  my- 
self protested  against  any  alterations,  and  sug- 
gested that  Professor  Stern  be  intrusted  with  the 
task  of  drawing  up  a  new  one.  .  .  . 

The  building  is  much  more  beautiful  and  well 
proportioned  than  it  appears  in  the  picture.  It 
is  impossible  to  look  upon  it  without  emotion,  as 
it  outlines  itself  against  the  clear  autumn  sky. 
We  have  a  house,  and  that  is  now  our  symbol. " 

A  letter  written  by  Elizabeth  Nietzsche-Foers- 
ter,  the  sister  of  the  great  German  philosopher, 
contains  the  following  allusion  to  this  manifesto: 

"  At  the  instance  of  Wagner  the  executive 
board  of   the   Wagner   Societies  had   requested 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  143 

my  brother  to  draw  up  an  appeal  to  the  German 
nation  in  aid  of  the  Bayreuth  enterprise.  With 
much  reluctance  my  brother  sketched  it  out  be- 
tween October  18-20,  1873,  worked  it  out  in  de- 
tail, and  had  a  number  of  copies  printed  in  order 
to  distribute  in  Bayreuth.  But  the  proclamation 
was  politely  but  firmly  rejected  by  the  delegates. 
Wagner  was  indignant  about  the  matter." 

The  Stern  manifesto  was  printed  and  freely 
distributed,  but  in  spite  of  the  vigorous  tone  in 
which  it  was  expressed,  and  the  subscription  lists, 
which,  at  the  suggestion  of  Heckel,  had  been 
placed  in  every  book,  music,  and  art  shop  in  Ger- 
many, a  few  thalers  subscribed  by  some  Got- 
tingen  students  was  the  total  result  of  this  broadly 
outlined  "  National  Subscription,"  from  which  so 
much  was  expected  and  upon  which  so  much 
depended. 

It  was  in  reply  to  the  discouraging  reports 
concerning  the  same  that  Wagner  wrote  to 
Heckel. 


144  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  November  iq,  1873.) 

O  you  most  excellent  Man! 

Accept  my  most  heartfelt  thanks  for  that 
which  you  are  doing,  and  which  it  is  not  neces- 
sary to  specify  further!  You  can  console  your- 
self with  the  thought  that  if  the  ways  and  means 
which  you  are  pursuing  do  not  lead  to  the  goal, 
then  nothing  else  —  of  an  honourable  nature  — 
would  help  us. 

God  knows,  possibly  you  will  find  that  much 
good  comes  even  from  the  newspapers;  I  have 
often  noticed  that  a  lack  of  understanding  creates 
more  confusion  than  pure  malice! 

I  go  to-morrow  to  Munich  to  see  if  there  is 
any  hope  of  interposition  on  the  part  of  the  King. 

Even  if  worse  happens,  we  shall  still  be  able 
to  keep  to  the  year  1875,  if  this  winter  bears 
good  fruit!  If  I  am  able  to  close  with  Brandt 
and  Hoffmann  definitely  in  the  spring,  then  they 
will  still  have  time  enough  —  according  to  their 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  145 

earlier  statements  —  in  which  to  get  ready.  I 
shall  have  a  conference  with  both  of  them  here, 
at  the  end  of  this  month. 

Therefore  —  let  us  hope!  Through  the  meas- 
ures which  you  are  taking  with  such  energetic 
caution,  we  shall  learn  in  the  end  the  still  latent 
power  of  the  German  character;  that  is  the  con- 
sideration which  almost  outweighs  the  success  of 
the  undertaking  itself. 

A  thousand  cordial  greetings  to  you  and  yours 
from  me  and  my  dear  wife. 

Yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Joseph  Hoffmann 

(Bayreuth,  December  19,  1873.) 
Highly  esteemed  Sir  and  Friend! 

Accept  my  sincerest  thanks  for  your  efforts, 
of  which  you  inform  me  in  your  kind  letter,  and 
be  assured  that  it  is  not  until  now,  after  having 
become  more  closely  acquainted  with  you  and 
your  important  achievements,  that  I  feel  myself 


146     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

relieved  on  the  subject  of  the  artistic  success  of 
our  undertaking.  Highly  as  I  valued  the  news 
from  you,  I  was  prevented  by  a  very  special 
reason  from  letting  you  hear  from  me  until  later. 

Even  now  I  am  not  in  possession  of  informa- 
tion which  would  permit  me  to  feel  assured  of 
positive  assistance,  and  without  which  it  would 
seem  ill-advised  to  adhere  to  the  year  1875  for 
the  performances,  or  to  grant  the  contracts  for 
the  beginning  of  the  work  at  the  first  of  the 
year. 

As  I  expect  any  day  now,  however,  to  receive 
this  information,  and  which  from  certain  signs 
I  venture  to  hope  will  prove  favourable,  I  must 
beg  of  you  to  exercise  the  same  patience  with 
me.  As  we,  furthermore,  have  as  yet  only  pro- 
visory information  as  to  your  conditions,  permit 
me  to  notify  you,  on  my  part,  that  I,  as  well  as 
the  gentlemen  of  the  committee,  consider  your 
demands  and  suggestions  quite  reasonable,  and 
only  in  one  particular  will  it  be  necessary  to  find 
some  other  way  of  satisfying  you,  and  that  is 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  147 

in  regard  to  the  two  per  cent  royalty  that  you 
claim,  without  our  first  being  able  to  discover 
upon  what  basis  of  receipts  this  percentage  is  to 
be  deducted. 

The  performances  at  the  Festival  Theatre  in 
Bayreuth  are  never  to  be  accessible  by  an  ad- 
mission fee,  nor  are  they  to  be  given  for  the 
financial  profit  of  any  person.  On  the  contrary, 
they  are  to  take  place,  once  for  all,  only  when 
the  costs  of  the  same  —  that  is,  the  necessary 
outlay  and  the  compensation  for  the  assisting 
personnel  —  shall  be  covered  by  the  voluntary 
subscriptions  of  the  patrons,  but  never  is  there 
to  be  a  question  of  recompense  for  the  author. 

I  believe,  however,  that  I  shall  be  able  to  com- 
ply with  your  wishes  by  pledging  myself  to  per- 
mit such  theatres  as  wish  to  present  my  works 
according  to  the  customary  admission  fees,  to 
do  so  only  under  the  condition  that  the  scenery 
is  executed  from  your  designs  and  that  an  agree- 
ment concerning  the  same  is  entered  into  with 
you  and  your  heirs. 


i48     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

For  the  present,  as  our  money  has  grown  quite 
scarce,  we  have  instructed  Baron  Viktor  v.  Er- 
langer  in  Vienna,  who  has  pledged  himself  for 
fifteen  hundred  thalers,  to  pay  this  sum  to  you 
immediately  as  the  compensation  which  you 
claim,  and  do  not  doubt  that  this  will  be  done. 

I  have  to  express  my  sincere  thanks,  as  well 
as  those  of  my  wife,  for  your  kind  souvenir  and 
also  for  your  obliging  efforts,  and  at  the  same 
time  to  beg  you  to  remember  us  both  cordially 
to  your  esteemed  wife  whom  we  have  not  the 
pleasure  of  knowing. 

With  the  reservation  of  more  definite  news  for 
you  shortly,  I  remain,  with  the  deepest  respect, 

Yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  January  19,  1874.) 
Esteemed,  dear  Friend! 

It  is  only  fitting  that  I  should  address  myself 
to  you,  the  most  active  and  efficient  founder  and 


TOUR  OF   INSPECTION  149 

promoter  of  a  society  for  the  furtherance  of  my 
proposed  Stage  Festival  Play,  when  a  decisive 
step  is  to  be  taken,  which  can  he  carried  into 
effect  more  suitably  by  an  intelligent  and  proven 
friend  of  my  undertaking,  than  by  me,  the  origi- 
nator of  the  undertaking. 

Powerful  assistance  has  become  necessary,  if 
the  work  we  have  commenced  is  to  be  carried 
on  to  speedy  execution ;  everything  depends  upon 
despatch  in  this  matter,  as  it  is  dependent  upon 
the  endurance  of  my  personal  vitality. 

In  the  course  of  two  years  we  have  reached 
the  point  where  we  are  provided  with  one  hun- 
dred thousand  thaler  by  the  close  friends  of  my 
art ;  with  this  money  we  have  laid  the  perma- 
nent foundation  of  the  entire  undertaking  by 
erecting  a  Stage  Festival  Play  theatre,  the  solid- 
ity of  which  insures  its  usefulness  for  an  im- 
measurable period  of  time.  But  now,  just  at 
a  time  when  there  can  be  no  further  delay  in 
giving  the  definite  commissions  for  the  execu- 
tion of  the  stage  machinery  and  decorations,  the 


ISO     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

strength  of  the  former  patrons  of  the  undertak- 
ing is  exhausted,  progress  is  necessarily  retarded, 
and  will  be  forfeited  to  a  sad  fate  unless  some 
decisive  power  comes  to  its  assistance. 

My  local  counsellors  are  of  the  opinion  that 
the  undertaking  should  be  supported  at  any  cost, 
up  to  the  point  of  the  projected  Festival  perform- 
ances, and  that  we  might  expect  with  certainty 
to  cover  the  costs  by  the  support  which  comes 
to  us  from  all  directions  by  those  interested  in 
this  unusual  enterprise.  With  this  in  view,  we 
should  only  need  a  guarantee  sufficient  to  insure 
the  uninterrupted  progress  of  the  work. 

In  order  to  secure  such  a  guarantee,  I  recently 
approached  my  noble  benefactor,  the  King  of 
Bavaria,  but,  for  reasons  quite  obscure  to  me, 
he  refused  my  request. 

You  know  that  of  late  we  have  been  searching 
for  such  a  guarantee  among  particularly  sym- 
pathetic and  wealthy  friends.  Should,  however, 
even  temporary  relief  grow  out  of  this  attempt, 
I  am  nevertheless  resolved  to  look  for  help  in 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  151 

so  significant  a  cause  in  the  only  direction  which 
would  impart  the  proper  dignity  to  the  enterprise. 
If  I  have  here  in  mind  the  "  Empire,"  you  are 
not  unacquainted  with  the  fact  that  the  thought 
of  seeing  my  undertaking  and  the  Kulturwillens- 
akt 1  which  it  represents,  discussed  by  the  rep- 
resentatives of  our  Parliament,  has  always  rilled 
me  with  horror,  because  I  feared  that  not  a  single 
person  would  be  discovered  among  all  of  these 
who  would  be  able  to  expound  convincingly  the 
rightful  significance  of  my  undertaking  and  de- 
fend it  against  the  insulting  defamations  of  the 
absolutely  ignorant,  but  at  the  same  time  power- 
ful, press.  On  the  contrary,  I  have  now  decided 
to  offer  the  first  performances  of  my  work  to  our 
victorious  Emperor,  as  a  lustrum  celebration  of 
the  famous  peace  with  France,  closed  in  1871. 
The  chief  thing  would  be  to  place  the  perform- 
ance of  my  "  Nibelung  "  work  —  which  is  con- 
structed on  entirely  new  lines  corresponding 
more  closely  to  the  peculiarities  of  the  German 
1  Voluntary  deed  of  culture. 


1 52  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

character  —  in  sharp  contrast  with  the  theatrical 
performances  with  which,  according  to  a  some- 
what reprehensible  custom,  such  solemn  days  are 
usually  commemorated.     I  venture  to  think  that 
should  my  offer  be  accepted,  it  would  express  the 
recognition  of  a  significant  epoch  in  German  cul- 
ture.    I  could  not  be" expected  to  express  myself 
forcibly  and  convincingly  on  this  subject ;  I  must 
unconditionally  look  among  the  friends  of  my  art, 
or  the  patrons  of  my  undertaking,  for  an  advocate 
who,  armed  with  the  detailed  instructions  which 
I  have  drawn  up  as  a  guide,  would  be  able  to 
present  my  project  in  its  true  significance  and  in 
a  favourable  light  before  the  proper  personages. 
In  this,  as  well  as  in  other  matters,  it  fills  me 
with  pleasant  encouragement  to  appoint  you,  dear 
and  valued  friend,  as  my  choice  for  the  position 
of  chief  mediator  with  your  own  sovereign,  the 
Grand  Duke  of  Baden,  whom  I  so  highly  esteem. 
It  was  this  model  German  prince  who  received 
me  and  my  artistic  undertakings  with  such  truly 
enlightened  favour  when  in  1861,  after  long  ban- 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  153 

ishment,  I  again  put  my  foot  upon  German  soil. 
Since  that  time  I  have  had  no  cause  to  complain 
of  any  diminution  in  the  high-hearted  sentiments 
which  greeted  me  at  that  time,  and  believe  there- 
fore that  you  will  find  His  Royal  Highness  seri- 
ously prepared  and  favorably  disposed,  if  you 
approach  him  with  a  request  for  assistance  along 
the  lines  I  have  already  indicated,  in  the  name 
of  all  those  who  have  already  given  their  sup- 
port to  my  cause,  —  among  whom  I  count  with 
peculiar  satisfaction  my  royal  patron  himself. 

It  would  not  be  fitting  for  me  to  suggest  further 
measures  for  the  pursuance  of  this  course;  if, 
however,  the  Grand  Duke  should  declare  himself 
in  our  favour,  it  is  to  be  taken  for  granted  that 
the  co-operation  of  His  Royal  Highness  the 
Crown  Prince  of  Germany  would  naturally  occur 
at  once  to  my  Illustrious  Highness  as  the  most 
effective.  I  should  only  permit  myself  to  suggest 
that  the  Grand  Dukes  of  Saxon  Weimar  and 
Mecklenburg,  as  well  as  the  Duke  of  Nassau,  all 
of  whom  have  already  taken  a  great  personal 


i54     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

interest  in  my  undertaking,  should  eventually  be 
secured  as  co-operators. 

If  I  now  specify  exactly  what  I  anticipate  as 
the  crowning  result  of  all  my  wishes  and  efforts 
in  behalf  of  my  undertaking,  it  would  be  to  secure 
herewith  a  commission  from  the  German  Em- 
peror for  three  complete  performances  of  my 
Stage  Festival  Play,  the  "  Ring  of  the  Nibe- 
lung,"  during  the  summer  of  1876,  at  the  Fes- 
tival Theatre  erected  for  this  purpose  in  Bay- 
reuth,  as  a  first  lustrum  celebration  of  the  peace 
made  with  France. 

In  return  for  this,  the  sum  of  one  hundred 
thousand  thalers  —  in  other  words,  a  third  of 
the  total  cost  —  should  be  guaranteed  in  support 
of  the  undertaking.  .   .  . 

As  it  would  not  be  a  difficult  task  to  specify 
in  plain  figures  the  number  of  seats  which  right- 
fully would  need  to  be  put  at  the  disposal  of  the 
donors  of  such  a  sum,  I  refrain,  in  this  commu- 
nication, from  any  amplification  of  the  business 
aspect  of  the  matter,  and  beg  of  you,  in  conjunc- 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  155 

tion  with  our  valued  friends  in  Mannheim,  to 
take  the  first  steps  toward  the  realisation  of  the 
idea  which  I  have  in  mind,  and  which,  I  freely 
admit,  originated  with  you. 
With  devoted  friendship, 

Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

Wragner  had  already  appealed  to  his  royal 
patron,  King  Ludwig  of  Bavaria,  but  his  letter 
had  remained  unanswered. 

In  spite  of  this,  however,  he  was  convinced 
of  the  genuine  interest  and  sympathy  of  the 
King,  and  went  to  Munich  to  make  personal  in- 
quiry as  to  the  strange  silence.  A  conference 
with  the  King's  councillor,  Diifflipp,  had  no  im- 
mediate results,  and  after  a  period  of  anxious 
waiting  Wagner  asked  for  a  decisive  answer,  be 
it  Yes!    or  No! 

Promptly  the  annihilating  telegram  came  that 
the  King  refused  the  guarantee.  Heckel  was  at 
once  summoned  and  found  Wagner  in  a  state  of 


156     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

despair:  "  I  shall  board  up  the  sides  of  the  Festi- 
val Theatre  in  order  to  prevent  the  owls  from 
nesting  there  until  we  are  able  to  resume  work 
on  the  building." 

The  secret  ground  of  King  Ludwig's  momen- 
tary displeasure  with  his  favourite  was  that 
Wagner  had  refused  to  furnish  a  setting  to  an 
extremely  weak  poem,  which  in  Latin  verse  ex- 
tolled the  virtues  of  the  Bavarian  monarch,  on 
the  plea  that  he  was  occupied  in  completing  his 
"  Gotterdammerung." 

Wagner  was  not  told  that  it  was  the  wish  of 
the  King,  and  the  latter's  displeasure  was  fanned 
into  flame  by  the  ever-ready  Munich  intriguers. 

Feustel,  to  whom  the  secret  had  been  imparted, 
had  pledged  himself  not  to  tell  Wagner  how  mat- 
ters stood,  but  he  broke  the  spirit,  if  not  the 
letter,  of  his  vow  by  giving  the  particulars  to 
Heckel,  who  was  then  at  liberty  to  act  as 
mediator. 

Later  an  effort  was  made  to  induce  the  Grand 
Duke  of  Baden  to  intercede  with  Emperor  Wil- 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  157 

liam  I  for  his  consent  to  accept  the  perform- 
ances as  a  sort  of  lustrum  celebration  of  the 
peace  following  the  Franco-Prussian  War. 

In  this  connection  Wagner  suddenly  uses  the 
date  "  1876  "  for  the  first  time. 

After  a  long  wait  the  Prussian  court  returned 
a  negative  answer,  which  could  be  attributed 
only  to  a  feeling  of  delicacy  and  consideration 
toward  the  Bavarian  King,  who  was  known  to 
be  jealous  of  any  outside  assistance  being  given 
to  his  favourite.  Bismarck  is  reported  to  have 
said,  "  I  do  not  know  but  that  the  King  of 
Bavaria  would  have  considered  that  we  were 
poaching  upon  his  preserves,  had  we  advanced 
Wagner's  efforts !  " 

As  soon  as  Heckel  had  thrown  a  light  on  the 
mysterious  attitude  of  the  King,  Wagner  had 
not  delayed  writing  to  his  royal  patron,  who  in 
his  former  enthusiastic  tone  answered: 

"  No,  no,  and  again  no!  It  must  not  end  so! 
Something  must  be  done!>f 

The  old  relations  were  resumed  between  the 


i58     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

master  and  the  disciple,  and  Wagner  was  able 
to  announce  to  Heckel: 

"  Everything  is  in  order  with  His  Majesty!' 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  February  9,  1874.) 
Dear,  good  Friend  Heckel! 

Only  have  courage! 
And  all  will  be  well !  — 
The  matter  has  been  arranged  with  His  Maj- 
esty;   the  undertaking  in  which  you  are  taking 
such  a  serious  and  splendid  part  is  now  assured. 
More  details  soon !  — 

...  I  knew  that  all  of  that  would  be  in  vain; 
a  "  wise  fool  "  is  necessary  for  my  cause!  —  but 
who  is  foolish  nowadays?  — 

This  in  haste!  More  soon!  With  my  whole 
heart, 

Yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 


TOUR  OF   INSPECTION  159 

To  Carl  Brandt 

(Bayreuth,  February  9,  1874.) 

Dear  Friend! 

At  last  I  have  reached  the  point  where  I  am 
able  to  put  the  direct  question  to  you  —  and 
Hoffmann. 

Provided  you  receive  all  the  necessary  condi- 
tions, in  the  form  of  a  contract,  for  the  begin- 
ning of  your  work  here  in  Bayreuth  by  the  end 
of  the  month,  can  you  then  be  ready  with  every- 
thing so  that  we  may  plan  for  the  performances 
with  absolute  certainty  for  August,  1875? 

Even  if  you  cannot  assent  to  the  above,  a  con- 
ference at  the  end  of  the  month  will  be  indis- 
pensable  in   order   that   the   contracts   for    1876 
(should  this  become  necessary)  can  be  discussed. 
With  cordial  greetings, 

Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 


i6o  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  March  5,  1874.) 
Dear  Friend! 

The  signature  of  the  King  has  just  come.  It 
guarantees  a  credit  of  a  hundred  thousand  thaler 
from  his  own  private  treasury,  in  order  that  the 
costs  of  the  stage  machinery,  decorations,  and 
lighting  may  be  defrayed;  during  the  period  of 
the  loan  all  moneys  accruing  from  the  Patron 
Certificates  shall  be  credited  to  the  Royal  Treas- 
ury in  liquidation  of  the  debt,  until  which  time 
all  the  designated  acquisitions  remain  the  prop- 
erty of  the  Royal  Court  Secretary. 

This  is  the  contract. 

You  can  see  that  we  are  placed  in  a  position 
to  go  forward,  but  have  not  as  yet  received  any 
additional  funds,  and  therefore  remain,  as  be- 
fore, dependent  upon  the  support  of  the  public 
if  we  are  eventually  to  carry  out  our  undertaking. 

I  beg  of  you,  therefore,  to  proceed  with  that 
circumspection  and  caution  in  making  your  com- 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  161 

munications   and   notifications   necessary   to  the 
two  purposes: 

i.  To  present  this  supervening  relief  only  in 
the  light  of  a  guarantee  for  the  realisation  of  the 
enterprise. 

2.  Not  to  make  people  believe  that  now  noth- 
ing more  is  left  for  them  to  do. 

We  consider  it,  therefore,  best  simply  to  report 
the  fact,  namely: 

That  the  proposed  contracts  with  the  painter 
Hoffmann  in  Vienna,  as  well  as  with  the  Royal 
Theatre  machinist,  Brandt,  for  the  furnishing  of 
the  decorations  and  stage  machinery,  are  to  be 
closed  as  soon  as  possible. 

I  think  this  will  be  sufficient  and  refute  every- 
thing. In  the  same  way  I  shall  now  write  to 
the  singers  I  have  selected,  and  also  give  in- 
structions in  regard  to  the  orchestra,  all  of  which 
will  soon  give  another  aspect  to  the  matter. 

I  shall  rejoice  all  the  more  if  this  gives  you 
genuine  pleasure,  my  dear  friend,  as  I  unfortu- 
nately enjoy  but  little  of  this  pleasure,  having 


162     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

been  so  wearied  and  tormented  by  all  that  has 
preceded  that  the  success  leaves  me  rather  cold 
and  mindful  only  of  my  duties. 

Cordial  greetings  from  house  to  house, 

Yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Feustel  and  Muncker 

(Bayreuth,  March  7,  1874.) 
My  highly  esteemed  Sirs  and  Friends! 

It  will  ever  remain  an  impossibility  for  me  to 
give  adequate  expression  to  my  gratitude  for,  and 
recognition  of,  your  great  service  in  the  under- 
taking I  have  initiated.  This  is  the  first  thing 
which  troubles  me  in  responding  now  to  your 
communication  of  to-day! 

The  second  is  that  I  am  obliged  to  regard  it 
as  utterly  impossible  to  pay  my  debt  of  deeply 
felt  gratitude  by  yielding  to  your  wish  that  our 
performances  should  take  place  in  the  coming 
year. 

I  thought  that  I  had  already  expressed  myself 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  163 

quite  clearly  and  sufficiently  on  this  point  at  our 
last  meeting,  and  therefore  can  only  repeat  that 
the  more  seriously  I  force  myself  to  look  the 
matter  squarely  in  the  face,  the  more  fully  I  am 
able  to  estimate  the  injury  which  the  delay  in 
the  contracts  has  caused.  .  .  . 

As  a  result  of  this  delay  I  have  got  out  of  touch 
with  the  personnel  I  previously  had  in  view,  and 
am  obliged  to  start  again  from  the  very  begin- 
ning in  regard  to  securing  a  new  one.  For  ex- 
ample, I  could  not  now  say  to  any  singer,  "  Don't 
make  any  contract  for  the  summer,  in  order  that 
you  may  be  at  my  disposal,"  and  I  should  regard 
myself  as  fortunate,  should  I  be  able  to  per- 
suade any  of  the  former  ones  to  place  themselves 
at  my  disposal  for  a  few  days,  in  addition  to 
their  other  obligations. 

Believe  me,  it  is  quite  impossible  to  present  the 
enormous  four-part  work,  each  part  of  which 
would  require  three  months'  preparation  in  the 
largest  theatres,  in  the  time  which  now  remains 
for  us,  from  now  until  next  vear. 


1 64  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

That  is  one  thing!  The  other  is  your  sugges- 
tion and  wish  that  the  means  be  collected  by  my 
personal  activity.  Provided  I  should  be  success- 
ful in  getting  together  considerable  sums  by  con- 
stant travelling  about  and  constant  concert-giv- 
ing, it  grieves  me  to  be  obliged  to  declare  to 
you  that  I  could  not  endure  the  strain,  and  it  is 
for  this  reason  that  I  am  obliged  to  provide  my- 
self with  a  conductor  to  assume  these  duties  even 
for  the  Festival  performances,  a  precaution  which 
I  was  obliged  to  take  in  Munich  in  the  past.  I 
feel,  more  than  either  one  of  you,  my  highly 
esteemed  friends,  that  the  ultimate  guarantee  of 
the  success  of  our  great  undertaking  lies  in  the 
maintenance  of  my  physical  and  mental  vitality, 
because  no  one  can  estimate  the  task  which  I 
have  imposed  upon  myself  in  this  respect.  And 
furthermore,  my  experience  of  the  preceding 
year  has  convinced  me  that  all  these  attempts 
to  give  a  personal  impetus  to  the  matter  in  no 
way  produce  results  commensurate  with  the  ef- 
fort made.    On  the  contrary,  I  learned  quite  dis- 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  165 

tinctly  from  the  experience  that  it  is  not  the 
idea  which  is  preached  beforehand,  but  the  fact 
of  the  proposed  musical  performances,  which 
may  possibly  arouse  a  certain  degree  of  curious 
sympathy,  and  this  eventually  may  procure  for 
us  the  necessary  funds.  On  the  other  hand,  this 
sympathy  can  be  increased  by  prolonging  and 
thus  exciting  curiosity,  provided  the  one  fact  re- 
mains firm,  and  that  is  the  eventuality  of  the 
performances.  By  means  of  the  rehearsals 
which  will  be  held  in  the  summer  of  1875,  with 
decorations,  etc.,  this  interest  can  be  raised  to 
a  profitable  degree  of  impatience  —  which  would 
be  all  the  better  for  us. 

I  am  quite  clear  about  this.  But  that  about 
which  I  am  quite  in  the  dark  is,  how  I  am  to 
persuade  myself  to  invite  fifteen  hundred  guests 
(apart  from  my  personnel),  among  them  most 
distinguished  personalities,  in  the  present  condi- 
tion of  the  entertaining  strength  of  Bayreuth. 
This  it  is,  my  highly  esteemed  friends,  which 
is  so  serious  a  point  that  I  am  forced  to  beg  of 


1 66  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

you  to  throw  some  light  on  the  subject,  which 
will  quiet  my  anxieties. 

I  do  not  believe  that  it  will  be  possible  for 
you  to  convince  me  that,  by  the  means  which 
up  to  the  present  have  been  used,  a  thousand 
patrons,  most  of  them  from  aristocratic  circles, 
to  say  nothing  of  five  hundred  free  seats,  can 
be  so  accommodated  in  our  hotels  and  private 
houses  as  not  to  convert  the  assembling  in  Bay- 
reuth  into  a  disagreeable  experience,  which  would 
make  the  repetition  of  the  Festival  an  impossi- 
bility the  year  following. 

I  therefore  regard  it  as  my  duty,  my  highly 
valued  friends,  to  beg  of  you  to  arrange  a  meet- 
ing for  an  early  date  for  deliberating  this  very 
important  point  and  as  far  as  I  am  able  to  judge 
of  the  difficulty  of  the  situation,  you  will  find 
it  by  no  means  too  early  for  serious  considera- 
tion of  the  matter,  if  we  expect  to  receive  the 
guests  of  the  Festival  in  a  befitting  manner  in 
the  summer  of  1876,  so  that  they  will  cherish 
no  manifest  objection  to  coming  again  in  the 
year  1877. 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  167 

May  you  receive  this  answer  in  a  friendly  and 
considerate  manner,  as  the  conviction  of  one 
deeply  serious  and  also  of  one  weighed  down 
with  cares,  —  for  the  faith's  sake,  —  and  beg  of 
you  to  ascribe  it  to  my  great  gratitude  toward 
you. 

With  the  deepest  respect, 

Yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 

Among  the  visitors  at  the  first  Festival  in  1876 
was  the  great  Russian  composer,  Tschaikowsky, 
who  was  at  that  time  only  thirty-six  years  of 
age.  In  a  letter  written  to  an  intimate  friend, 
and  since  published,  he  expressed  himself  unre- 
servedly as  to  the  impressions  he  had  received 
at  Bayreuth. 

"  Bayreuth  is  an  insignificant  little  city,  in 
which  several  thousand  persons  are  gathered  to- 
gether. As  far  as  accommodations  are  con- 
cerned, one  is  very  badly  served.  We  had  or- 
dered our  room  beforehand  and  that  is  very  nice, 


i6S     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

but  the  first  day  I  succeeded  in  getting  my  din- 
ner only  by  the  greatest  effort,  and  yesterday's 
breakfast  I  owe  only  to  a  lucky  accident. 

"...  I  am  not  at  all  bored,  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  I  cannot  say  that  my  stay  here  gives  me 
any  great  pleasure,  so  that  all  my  thoughts  and 
wishes  are  directed  toward  fleeing  from  here  as 
soon  as  possible  and  returning  to  Russia  via 
Vienna." 

From  Henry  T.  Finck  we  also  have  an  account 
of  the  material  discomfort  to  which  the  guests 
were  subjected,  but,  unlike  Tschaikowsky,  his 
musical  enthusiasm  enabled  him  to  take  a  hu- 
mourous view  of  the  situation: 

"  The  chief  difficulty  was  to  get  something  to 
eat.  The  small  hotels  could  accommodate  only 
their  own  guests,  and  of  restaurants  there  were 
only  a  few.  I  remember  a  characteristic  scene 
at  Lochmuller's,  the  principal  restaurant  at  that 
time.  Everyone  at  the  crowded  tables  was  im- 
ploring the  waiters  to  serve  them,  and  finally  the 
majority  decided  that  they  might  save  an  hour 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  169 

or  two  by  waiting  on  themselves.  So  they  all 
crowded  around  the  buffet,  ready  to  grasp  what- 
ever appeared  from  the  kitchen;  while  the 
waiters,  pushed  aside,  stood  in  a  corner,  and  one 
of  them  sarcastically  suggested  to  his  compan- 
ions that  they  should  sit  down  and  let  the  guests 
wait  on  them." 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  April  17,  1874.) 

Esteemed  Friend! 

Best  thanks!  We  are  now  burdened  with  the 
arrangements  of  our  house  and  our  approach- 
ing move.  My  wife  suffering  continually  with 
a  cold,  and  I  —  expecting  good  things  and  — 
putting  up  with  bad.  I  expect  Richter  the  be- 
ginning of  May  to  assist  me  for  four  months. 
He  will  then  see  about  your  tenor.  .  .  . 

I  shall  not  lack  for  men,  but  I  have  not  many 
women  to  boast  of.  The  summer  will  make  all 
this  clear;  just  at  present  I  still  have  winter 
somewhat  in  my  bones!!  .  .  . 


i-o  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Most  cordial  greetings  to  you  and  the  friends 
from 

Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

In  addition  to  Wagner's  anxieties  in  regard  to 
the  building  of  the  theatre  were  connected  those 
of  his  private  residence,  to  which,  in  jest,  he 
gave  the  name  of  "  Argersheim  "  (The  House 
of  Anger),  as  a  play  upon  his  "  Nibelheim  "  of 
the  "  Ring."  He  had  so  often  had  to  call  upon 
Feustel  to  adjust  difficulties  with  the  architect 
that  he  wrote:  "  For  your  consolation  in  the 
future,  I  promise  you  that  I  shall  never  build 
another  house,  not  even  in  Bayreuth." 

The  first  object  which  greets  the  eye  of  the 
visitor  to  Wahnfried  is  a  life-sized  bronze  bust 
of  Wagner's  royal  patron,  which  was  put  in  place 
during  the  rehearsals  of  1875,  and  stands  as 
an  enduring  symbol  of  the  loyal  protection  of- 
fered by  a  German  monarch  to  a  German 
composer. 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  17! 

The  house  is  singularly  simple  in  its  decora- 
tive scheme,  with  the  exception  of  the  semi- 
circular space  over  the  entrance,  which  is  occu- 
pied by  sgraffitto  painting  of  an  allegorical 
character. 

It  represents  the  German  myth,  which?  in  the 
person  of  Wotan  the  Wanderer,  in  mantle  and 
wide-brimmed  hat  drawn  down  over  his  missing 
eye,  journeys  through  the  world  accompanied  by 
his  ravens.  The  features  are  those  of  Ludwig 
Schnorr  von  Carolsfeld,  the  creator  of  the  role 
of  "  Tristan."  The  Wanderer  meets  on  his  jour- 
neyings  the  figure  of  Tragedy,  bearing  the  fea- 
tures of  Wilhelmine  Schroder-Devrient,  the  great 
dramatic  singer,  and  a  second  figure  in  which 
the  art  of  Music  is  personified  by  Frau  Cosima 
Wagner.  She  leads  towards  Wotan  the  boy 
Siegfried  (Siegfried  Wagner),  who  with  his  self- 
forged  sword  is  symbolic  of  the  Art  Work  of 
the  Future. 

Below  the  picture  is  the  reddish  marble  tablet 
bearing  the  name  of  the  house  "  Wahnfried," 


1 72  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

flanked  on  either  side  by  the  explanatory  inscrip- 
tion :  "  Hier,  wo  mein  Wahnen  Frieden  fand, 
Wahnfried  sei  dieses  Haus  von  mir  genannt." 

In  this  house  Wagner  spent  the  happiest  decade 
of  his  life  with  his  wife  Cosima  and  three  chil- 
dren. Villa  Wahnfried  became  the  amplified  ful- 
filment of  the  yearning  to  which  he  gave  expres- 
sion in  an  earlier  letter  to  Uhlig:  "I  want  a 
small  house  with  meadow  and  garden !  To  work 
with  zest  and  pleasure!  Rest!  Rest!  Rest! 
Country !  Country :  a  cow,  a  goat.  Then  health 
—  happiness  —  hope !  " 

To  Joseph  Hoffmann 

(Bayreuth,  June  9,  1874.) 
Esteemed  Sir  and  Friend! 

I  wish  to  express  to  you  my  sincere  thanks 
for  the  alterations  in  your  beautiful  designs. 
Thereby  the  room  of  Hunding  has  become  thor- 
oughly in  keeping  with  the  demands  of  the  dra- 
matic action,  and  it  is  so  excellent  that  I  cannot 
find  that  it  has  forfeited  anything  of  its  char- 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  173 

acter.  No  less  have  I  to  thank  you  for  the  space 
in  front  of  the  hall  of  the  "  Gibichung  "  on  the 
banks  of  the  Rhine. 

The  general  effect  will  be  magnificent;  it  is 
to  be  hoped  that  the  level  space  of  the  front  and 
middle  stage  is  wide  enough  to  accommodate  the 
great  number  of  persons  required  by  the  action 
which  takes  place  here. 

One  wish  I  have  always  had,  namely,  to  see 
the  entrance  of  the  hall  in  somewhat  more  of 
a  straight  or  curved  profile;  here  the  decisive 
meeting  of  the  chief  catastrophe  takes  place.  I 
have  made  the  mistake  of  keeping,  unconsciously, 
in  view  our  —  very  incorrect  —  theatrical  con- 
ventionalities, according  to  which,  for  example 
in  "  Lohengrin,"  the  portal  of  the  minster  is 
placed  sufficiently  to  one  side  so  that  for  a 
long  time  the  action  could  take  place  on  the 
steps. 

This  time  I  should  like  to  have  a  concession 
on  your  part,  according  to  which  you  would  move 
the  entire  scene  rather  more  from  right  to  left, 


i74     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

so   that   more   would  be   seen   of   the   hall   and 
somewhat  less  of  the  Rhine. 
In  this  way: 

(In  the  original  is  a  drawing  indicating  this.) 

from  which  we  assume  that  we  have  here  only  a 
landing  place  on  the  river,  while  in  the  first  and 
last  act  we  look  out  upon  the  broad  stream  itself. 

But  it  will  be  difficult  for  you  to  sacrifice  any- 
thing here,  for  the  picture,  as  you  have  given 
it,  is  unusually  characteristic  and  beautiful. 

Be  indulgent  and  remain  favourably  disposed 
always  to  yours 

Very  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Carl  Brandt 

(Bayreuth,  June  9,  1874.) 
Dear  Friend! 

I  am  in  trouble,  which  I  pour  out  to  you  as  a 
friend! 

Frau  Jaide  troubles  me.  If  she  had  only  come 
to   me   at   the   right   time   instead   of  going  off 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  175 

to   Vienna   to  introduce   herself   as   a   Wagner 


singer ! 


That  she  "  injured  "  herself  in  Vienna  signi- 
fies nothing,  absolutely  nothing,  although  I  wish 
she  had  considered  herself  as  one  of  my  chosen 
artists  and  not  subjected  herself  to  the  risks  of 
a  Vienna  appearance. 

This  corresponds  to  her  character,  which  I 
could  wish  were  more  serious,  so  that  she  should 
more  deeply  realise  the  nature  of  the  great  task 
before  her. 

From  inquiries  which  I  have  made  from  ab- 
solutely reliable  authorities  and  disinterested 
friends,  one  thing  seems  certain:  Frau  Jaide  is 
credited  with  a  big  talent,  a  highly  significant 
artistic  instinct  as  a  dramatic  interpreter,  and  a 
warm  noble  nature  but  —  her  voice  is  said  to 
have  been  injured,  she  is  said  to  have  grown 
unreliable,  and  therefore  does  not  fulfil  in  the 
performance  the  expectation  she  arouses  in  the 
rehearsals. 

For  me  this  is  no  small  matter  —  during  the 


1 7o  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

time  which  Frau  Jaide  tardily  allows  to  go  by 
—  presumably  in  Vienna  appearances  —  to  be 
obliged  to  decide  about  the  casting  of  the  chief 
roles  in  my  work. 

Now  I  beg  of  you !  You  are  in  Darmstadt  on 
the  spot;  tell  me  something  of  the  assiduity  of 
this  singer.  Do  you  consider  her  as  thoroughly 
reliable  as  the  mainstay  of  my  performances 
should  be? 

I  most  heartily  hope  that  you  will  be  able  to 
quiet  my  mind  on  this  point! 

As  stage  machinist  you  are  now  obliged  to 
help  me  by  deed  and  word  in  everything.  Do 
you  remember  that  I  also  applied  to  you  for 
information  about  your  orchestra?  ?  ?  .  .  . 

May  Fate  be  treating  you  particularly  well, 
but  —  always  think  a  little  of 

Yours  cordially  and  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

Frau  Jaide  was  the  Darmstadt  singer  whom 
Wagner  discovered  on  his  tour  of  inspection  and 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  177 

mentioned  in  his  letter  to  Feustel  as  "  the  only 
singer  whom  I  have  as  definite  booty  so  far  — 
she  is  of  great  (if  as  yet  unknown)  excellence." 

In  March,  1874,  Wagner  wrote  to  her  as  fol- 
lows :  "I  am  now  at  the  point  where  I  can  re- 
quest you  to  come  to  Bayreuth  for  a  long  stay, 
in  order  to  afford  me  the  opportunity  of  acquaint- 
ing you  with  the  great  task  which  I  hope  to  see 
accomplished  by  means  of  your  great  gifts. 

"  Come  when  you  will,  and  when  it  best  suits 
your  convenience ;  during  the  course  of  the  sum- 
mer I  expect  similar  visits  from  all  of  the  other 
artists  whom  I  have  chosen." 

At  first  Wagner  hoped  that  Frau  Jaide  might 
answer  for  Sieglinde,  but  later  he  was  obliged 
to  abandon  this  idea  and  intrust  to  her  the  roles 
of  Erda  and  Waltrante. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Bayreuth,  June  io,  1874.) 
Dear  Friend! 

Every  evening  my  musicians  are  with  me  in 

order  to  be  coached  in  the  proper  interpretations 


178     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

of  my  scores,  which  the  singers  are  soon  to  begin 
studying  with  them. 

He  who  wishes  to  participate  in  these  gather- 
ings is  heartily  welcome,  even  were  it  the  highly 
esteemed  "  circle."  Every  night  something  is 
going  on,  and  I  cannot  leave  the  house  a  single 


evening. 


Faithful   greetings    from   your   ever   grateful 

friend, 

Richard  Wagner. 

The  summer  of  1874  was  devoted  to  studying 
the  big  score  with  the  young  musicians  of  the 
so-called  "  Nibelungkanselei,"  presided  over  by 
Dr.  Hans  Richter.  Among  the  young  "  copy- 
ists "  who  were  at  work  under  his  direction  were 
Anton  Seidl,  Joseph  Rubinstein,  and  Franz 
Fischer. 

Chests  were  already  filled  with  the  different 
parts  of  the  score,  and  every  evening  some  part 
of  the  gigantic  work  was  taken  out  and  gone 
through  with,  and  here  was  laid  the  foundation 
of  the  "  Bayreuth  style." 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  179 

None  of  these  young  disciples  was  more  thor- 
oughly imbued  with  the  spirit  of  the  work  than 
Anton  Seidl,  who  was  afterward  to  become  the 
great  Wagner  prophet  of  America.  Later  Wag- 
ner wrote  of  him :  "  At  any  moment  I  could,  had 
it  been  necessary,  have  intrusted  him  with  the 
direction  of  the  entire  work.  He  was  filled  with 
the  spirit  of  the  '  Nibelung  Ring  '  from  the  crown 
of  his  head  to  the  soles  of  his  feet !  " 

To  Carl  Brandt 

(Bayreuth,  June  14,  1874.) 
Esteemed  Friend! 

I  should  like  to  have  a  list  of  the 

Most  Meritorious, 

consequently 

the  most  excellent,  musicians 

of  the  grand  Ducal  Court  Orchestra.    To  whom 

shall  I  apply?  .  .  . 

I  should  like  you  to  ask  whichever  conductor 

of  the  orchestra  you  consider  most  capable  of 

deciding   this   point,    an   opinion    which    will    be 


180     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

treated  with  the  most  absolute  confidence.  Out 
of  six  orchestras,  which  are  unemployed  dur- 
ing these  months,  I  intend  to  form  my  big 
orchestra.  .  .  . 

With  the  most  cordial  greetings, 
Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Joseph  Hoffmann 

(Bayreuth,  October  12,  1874.) 
Honoured  Sir  and  Friend! 

It  is  not  my  wish  that  you  withdraw  from 
further  co-operation  in  the  execution  of  the  plans 
which  you  have  designed.  I  have  demonstrated 
to  you  that  it  was  most  important  to  me,  for  the 
successful  progress  of  the  work,  to  keep  you  on 
good  terms  with  the  gentlemen  to  whom  the  ex- 
ecution of  your  plans  was  directly  intrusted.  At 
the  present  moment  it  is  not  my  purpose  to  in- 
quire closely  into  the  reasons  which  have  arisen 
for  making  impossible  this  necessary  unanimity. 
It  is  sufficient  to  assume  that  you  yourself  rec- 


TOUR  OF   INSPECTION  181 

ognise  that  the  situation  has  grown  impossible. 
This  opinion  I  have  imparted  to  the  gentlemen 
of  the  Executive  Council,  without,  however,  ex- 
pressing a  wish.  My  sole,  sincere  desire  is  that 
you  and  I,  two  honourable  men,  should  part  in 
peace  for  the  present.  In  regard  to  the  payment 
of  any  indemnification,  this  question  belongs  to 
a  province  in  which  I  take  part  with  all  the 
necessary  force  and  energy  only  when  it  con- 
cerns the  accomplishment  of  my  undertaking  as 
a  whole,  and  as  I  have  eliminated  any  idea  of 
material  profit  for  myself,  I  leave  all  decisions 
of  this  nature  to  the  directors  of  the  economic 
part  of  the  undertaking,  who  are  pledged  to  the 
strictest  economy  on  every  point. 

As  soon  as  the  part  Herr  Bruckner  is  to  take 
in  the  final  execution  of  the  decorations  is  settled, 
I  promise  you  without  fail  to  remember  him  and 
also  yourself  by  compensating  you  for  the  part 
you  have  taken  in  the  matter  by  the  further  pro- 
tection of  your  copyright  in  the  future. 

With  the  request  that  you  present  my  regards 


1 82  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

to  your  highly  esteemed  wife  and  mother-in-law, 

I  extend  my  hand  to  you  at  parting  and  remain 

always 

Yours  respectfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

During  a  long  stay  with  Brandt  in  Darmstadt 
Hoffmann  had  finished  the  models  for  the 
scenery  of  the  "  Ring  " ;  but  serious  differences 
of  opinion  had  occurred  between  himself  and  his 
colleagues,  as  a  result  of  which  the  scenic  exe- 
cution of  his  models  had  been  entirely  trans- 
ferred to  the  Bruckner  brothers  in  Coburg,  and 
Brandt  appointed  exclusively  to  the  task  of  in- 
specting their  work. 

To  Carl  Brandt 

(Bayreuth,  November  23,  1874.) 
Dear  Herr  Brandt! 

Can  you  not  at  last  see  that  my  wish  in  re- 
gard to  the  orchestra  affair  is  looked  after  by 
the  suitable  person  in  the  Darmstadt  Orches- 
tra? ?  ?     I  only  need  this  information  in  order 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  183 

to  form  my  orchestra  temporarily,  whereupon  I 
can  only  then  take  the  official  steps. 

Yesterday  I  finished  my  score,  and  shall  de- 
vote myself  now  entirely  to  business. 
Cordial  greetings  from 

Yours  very  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

The  score  of  the  "  Gotterdammerung ';  was 
finished  in  November,  1874. 

"  Finished  in  Wahnfried.  I  say  nothing  fur- 
ther.    R.  W."  he  wrote  on  the  last  page. 

In  spite  of  all  the  interruptions  and  obstacles, 
in  spite  of  the  disheartening  experiences,  strug- 
gles, and  self-sacrifice,  his  great  work  lay  fin- 
ished before  him  after  almost  a  quarter  of  a 
century  of  labor. 

It  could  have  been  finished  and  performed  in 
Zurich  in  1859;  Weimar  was  next  thought  of 
as  the  place  of  its  christening;  it  was  driven 
out  of  Munich  by  hostile  force;  and  at  last,  by 
his  own  efforts,  he  had  built  a  house  for  it  on 


1 84  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

virgin  soil.  The  work  was  finished  on  paper, 
but  there  was  to  be  a  repetition  of  many  strug- 
gles and  anxieties  before  it  could  be  performed. 
Xo  sooner  was  it  finished  than  his  publisher, 
Schott  of  Mayence,  gave  him  no  peace  until  he 
had  written  a  whole  series  of  "  Introductions 
and  Finale,"  so  that  single  numbers  could  be 
used  for  concert  purposes. 

"  Oh,  Germany!"  was  his  distressed  cry. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Bayreuth,  December  16,  1874.) 
Dear  good  Friend! 

Still  filled  with  gratitude  for  yesterday,  I  come 

to    make    another    claim    upon   you    to-day.      I 

wished  to  inform  you  that  Rth1  818  (for  "  Flie- 

gender    Hollander")    have    reached   me   to-day 

from  Berlin ;    the  entire  sum  I  have  kept  for 

myself,    for    well-known    outlay    (for    example, 

Kietz  in  Dresden  for  the  marble  bust,  etc.),  as 

well  as  for  the  calamities  of  the  Christmas  and 

New  Year  season.  .  .  . 

1  Reichsthaler. 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  185 

If  for  any  reason  you  prefer  another  modus, 
and  if  you  would  rather  have  my  baria  go 
through  your  bureau,  I  beg  of  you  to  let  me 
know  your  opinion. 

Not  until  January  shall  I  have  any  income 
worth  speaking  of,  and  then  I  shall  incorporate 
this  with  our  Conto  corrent. 

The  chief  impulse  to  "  Forwards  "  in  my  fi- 
nances I  do  not  expect  until  April  of  this  year, 
when,  in  addition  to  the  presumably  good  receipts 
from  the  profitable  quarterly  payments,  come 
those  promised  me  by  Schott. 

So  —  one  swims  and  wades!  One  hopes  fi- 
nally, however,  to  reach  the  shore  —  at  least, 
when  someone  stands  by  you  who  has  a  resem- 
blance to  my  friend  Feustel!  .  .  . 

From  his  whole  heart  greets  you 

Your  ever  grateful  and  faithful 

Richard  Wagner. 

P.  S.    The  5 'graffiti 0 l  did  cost  something,  after  all ! 


1  The  fresco  in  s graffiti 0  work,  which  is  placed  over  the  entrance 
of  Wahnfried,  was  executed  by  Robert  Krause. 


1 86  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

To  Professor  Carl  Doeppler 

(Bayreuth,  December  17,  1874.) 
Esteemed  Sir! 

I  permit  myself  to  inquire  if  you  would  be 
favourably  inclined  to  undertake  the  designing 
of  the  costumes,  as  well  as  the  superintendence 
of  the  execution  of  the  same,  for  the  projected 
Festival  performance  of  my  four-part  Stage 
Festival  Play,  the  "  Ring  of  the  Nibelung,"  in 
the  summer  of  1876. 

For  your  preliminary  information  as  to  the 
character  of  your  task,  I  am  sending  you  a  copy 
of  the  dramatic  text  as  well  as  several  brochures 
referring  to  the  execution  of  the  same.  You 
will  recognise  at  once  that  it  is  the  difficulties 
which  have  arisen  in  connection  with  the  matter 
which  have  determined  me  upon  looking  about 
for  an  unusually  experienced  and  excellent  artist 
in  this  particular  province. 

I  believe  I  am  justified  in  regarding  the  task 
as   a   fertile   field   and   one  which  offers  great 


TOUR  OF  INSPECTION  187 

possibilities  for  an  inventive  mind.  For,  to  get 
at  the  gist  of  the  matter,  I  require  nothing  less 
than  a  characteristic  painting  executed  in  single 
figures,  which  shall  present  with  striking  vivacity 
individual  events  from  each  and  every  episode  of 
this  far-distant  culture  epoch.  You  will  soon  find 
that  the  picture  which  has  been  accepted  as  the 
authoritative  characterisation  of  the  figures  in  the 
mediaeval  Nibelung  Epic,  according  to  the  prece- 
dent set  by  Cornelius,  Schnorr,  and  others,  must 
here  be  left  quite  out  of  the  question.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  one  has  given  attention  of  late 
to  the  characterisations  from  the  specific  North- 
ern mythology,  it  will  have  become  apparent 
how  an  effort  was  being  made  to  avoid  diffi- 
culty by  using  a  modification  of  the  classic  an- 
tique. Intimations  of  the  Roman  writers,  who 
came  in  touch  with  the  Germanic  peoples  as  to 
the  costumes  of  these  people,  do  not  seem  to 
have  received  the  attention  they  merit. 

According    to    my    opinion,    any    artist    who 
wished  to  appropriate  the  sketches  I  gave  him, 


1 88  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

and  make  them  his  own,  would  find  a  unique  field, 
not  only  for  intelligent  compilation,  but  for  his 
inventive  fancy  as  well;  and  I  could  wish  for 
nothing  more  than  that  you,  highly  esteemed  sir, 
should  assume  this  task. 

Begging  you  to  let  me  know  your  inclination 
in  the  matter,  I  do  myself  the  honour  of  sending 
you  greetings  of  especial  respect  as 
Your  humble  servant, 

Richard  Wagner. 


PRELIMINARY   REHEARSALS 
The  Year  1875 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  December  31,  1874.) 
My  dear  Friend! 

In  order  that  I  may  close  the  old  year  with 
something  agreeable,  I  reply  at  once  to  your  dear, 
dear  greeting  just  received! 

You  dear  just  men,  and  particularly  our  chief 
co-worker,  Zeroni !  Be  heartily  greeted  from  me 
and  mine! 

Health,  good  spirits,  and  humour  —  in  short, 
everything  which  one  calls  the  gifts  of  God  and 
of  nature  —  are  good.  Here  and  there  enor- 
mous difficulties,1  but  always  leading  to  some- 
thing good. 

Beautiful,  very  beautiful,  was  your  dear  visit, 

1  In  the  original,  "Hangen  und  Wttrgen." 


i9o     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

you  two  chief  "  just  men  " !     But  another  time 
bring  also  the  wives  of  the  just  men. 

You  will  soon  receive  accurate  information  as 
to  the  progress  of  our  preparations! 

Above  all  things,  a  wish  for  a  good  year  from 
Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  January  2,  1875.) 

Dear  Friend  I 

Once  again:  a  good  New  Year!  But  now 
come  the  worries,  namely,  the  definite  decisions 
as  to  casting  certain  roles  for  my  work.  As  I 
have  quite  a  collection  of  interrogation  points 
before  me  in  regard  to  Mannheim,  I  appeal  to 
you  as  a  diplomat,  hoping  you  will  do  better  by 
me  than  Count  Arnim  did  by  Bismarck. 

1.  Herr  Unger  shall  make  the  effort  to  learn 
the  Loge  and  in  addition  study  the  Siegmund  for 
an  emergency.  This  could  be  of  advantage  to 
him  in  the  future,  in  case  he  is  present  at  all  of 


PRELIMINARY  REHEARSALS         191 

the  rehearsals,  even  should  he  not  sing  it  just- 
yet  in  Bayreuth. 

2.  Herr  Knapp  I  should  like  to  have  for 
Fafner,  on  account  of  many  characteristics; 
friend  Langer  must  see  if  this  is  possible  with 
Knapp's  voice  (on  account  of  the  deep  tones). 
If  not,  then  he  shall  stick  to  Donner,  with  the 
study  of  Gunther  as  doublette  —  just  in  the  same 
way  as  Unger  with  Siegmund. 

3.  Fraulein  Auguste  v.  Muller :  " Grimm gerde," 
one  of  the  Valkyries  :  Erda  and  First  Norn  for 
emergency,  vide :  Unger  —  Siegmund. 

4.  Fraulein  Johanna  Konig  —  the  bird's  voice 
in  "  Siegfried,"  —  the  somewhat  slight  figure  of 
the  lady. preventing  my  making  further  use  of  her. 
I  should  like  to  have  used  her  for  the  first 
Rhine  daughter,  JVoglinde;  but  for  this  I  need, 
above  all,  routined,  experienced,  and  courageous 
women,  as  they  sing  most  of  the  time  in  a  fly- 
ing machine  for  which  the  Lehmann  sisters 
(Lilli  and  Marie)  have  offered  themselves.  But: 
caution   is   also   advised   here:     Fraulein   Konig 


192     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

may  as  well  study  the  Woglinde,  just  as  it  would 
be  advisable  for  Fraulein  v.  Muller  to  study  the 
Flosshilde. 

Friend  Langer  is  to  look  after  all  the  coach- 
ing —  these  are  the  temporary  machinations ;  if 
I  receive  good  news  from  you  as  to  the  willing- 
ness of  the  above-mentioned  singers,  official 
measures,  distribution  of  the  roles,  more  exact 
arrangements  will  follow.  Only  I  must  be  ab- 
solutely assured  of  the  unconditional  willingness 
of  the  participants  in  every  way;  this  was  a 
point  emphasised  in  my  suggestion. 

Artistic  sensitiveness,  coveting  of  roles,  and 
any  demands  of  this  nature  will  necessitate  a 
complete  breach  whenever  I  meet  with  such 
conditions. 

Only  by  the  voluntary  good-will  of  all  partici- 
pants can  that  which  I  have  in  view  be  success- 
fully accomplished. 

I  still  need  a  Sieglinde: 1  that  is  a  calamity! 

1  The  greatest  trouble  Wagner  encountered  in  the  casting  of 
his  work  was  in  finding  a  suitable  Sieglinde  and  Siegfried. 


PRELIMINARY  REHEARSALS         193 

She  must  be  slender  and  competent.  Frau  Jaide 
will  not  answer.  Have  you  thought  of  anyone? 
In  case  Knapp  does  not  wish  to  sing  Fafncr,  do 
you  know  of  any  suitable  fellow  for  the  role? 
However,  he  must  be  a  deep,  powerful  bass. 

A  thousand  cordial  greetings  from  house  to 
house,  and  to  the  distinguished  just  men! 

Your  little  old 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  January  28,  1875.) 
Well,  here  is  the  desired  (circular).    We  shall 
be  able  to  manage  eight  or  ten  marks  a  day  for 
those   without   means ;    therefore  —  say   to   the 
singers  that  they  can  make  this  condition. 

Great  care  will  be  taken  that  my  company  re- 
ceives good  and  cheap  accommodations. 
Good  evening,  dear  friend. 

Yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 

(Clerk.) 


i94     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Heckel  had  made  an  inquiry  concerning  the 
amount  which  was  to  be  allowed  the  artists  for 
their  living  expenses  while  in  Bayreuth,  and  at 
the  same  time  he  requested  that  a  copy  of  the 
circular  to  the  artists  be  sent  him. 

He  received  the  latter  with  the  lines  above 
written  on  the  back  of  it. 

This  circular  which  Wagner  drew  up  in  Jan- 
uary, 1875,  and  had  distributed  among  the  ar- 
tists whom  he  had  in  view  for  his  Festival  per- 
formances, read  as  follows: 

'  In  the  course  of  the  personal  intercourse  with 
you,  which  it  has  been  my  privilege  to  enjoy, 
you  have  learned  of  my  wish  to  secure  your 
co-operation  in  carrying  into  effect,  under  abso- 
lutely unique  conditions,  a  three-fold  performance 
of  my  four-part  stage  work  entitled  the  "  Ring 
of  the  Nibelung." 

1  I  believe  that  the  realisation  of  this  idea, 
which,  on  the  one  hand,  has  depended  upon  the 
extraordinary  support  of  the  friends  and  patrons 
of  my  art,  can  only  be  made  possible  by  the  cor- 


PRELIMINARY  REHEARSALS         195 

dial  and  vigorous  consent  of  the  distinguished 
artists  whose  co-operation  has  been  solicited,  as 
the  support  of  my  patrons  should  and  must  only 
be  given  to  an  undertaking  in  connection  with 
which  there  is  no  thought  of  money-making 
speculation.  You  will  therefore  find  yourselves 
(perhaps  for  the  first  time  in  your  lives)  called 
upon  to  devote  your  gifts  solely  and  singly  to 
the  achievement  of  an  ideal  artistic  purpose, 
namely,  that  of  showing  to  the  German  public 
what  the  German  is  able  to  do  with  his  art  on 
his  own  native  ground,  and  in  this  way  be  able 
to  present  to  foreign  countries,  from  whose  ar- 
tistic leavings  we  have  lived  chiefly  up  to  this 
time,  something  which  they  are  not  capable  of 
imitating." 

Here  follow  the  obligations  and  conditions 
upon  which  this  invitation  was  to  be  accepted, 
and  an  accurate  statement  of  the  time  and  length 
of  the  rehearsals,  with  a  request  that  the  artists 
name  the  sum  which  would  cover  their  expenses. 

The  letter  closed  with  the  following  clause: 


i96     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

'  I  now  await  your  favourable  answer,  in  order 
to  learn  that  I  shall  be  able  to  count  you  among 
those  who  have  bound  themselves  voluntarily 
into  a  confederation  of  the  highest  significance, 
and  pledged  themselves  to  carry  into  execution 
an  artistic  idea  such  as  was  never  before 
projected." 

To  Carl  Brandt 

(Not  dated.) 
Dearest  Colleague! 

When  I  got  home,  I  found  the  letter  which 
I  at  once  send  on  to  you.  I  believe  we  may 
trust  this  man,  as  the  English  in  this  particular 
point l  are  somewhat  ahead  of  us. 

Will  you  kindly  write  to  the  man  whatever 
there  is  to  be  said?  And  also  make  closer  in- 
quiries as  to  his  work? 


1  This  refers  to  the  Dragon  in  "Siegfried,"  which  was  eventually 
ordered  from  the  man  mentioned  here  for  £500.  It  was  transported 
in  sections  and  caused  the  greatest  anxiety  in  Bayreuth. 

When  all  of  the  various  detachments  had  finally  arrived,  Fricke, 
the  ballet-master,  was  so  disgusted  that  he  cried:  "Away  to  the 
attic  with  such  a  monster!" 


PRELIMINARY  REHEARSALS         197 

With  cordial  greetings  and  many  thanks  for 
your  last  visit, 

Yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  February  6,  1875.) 

Dear  Friend! 

To  you  therefore  —  as  always  —  briefly  and 
to  the  point! 

Knapp  bores  me  somewhat  with  the  absurd- 
sounding  clause  in  regard  to  certain  particular 
deductions.  Eilers  and  other  excellent  artists, 
as  well  as  the  poor  Unger,  accept  the  simple 
compensation  —  Eilers,  in  fact,  only  ninety 
thalers  a  month.  Eilers  sings  two  of  the  chief 
roles  for  me,  while  I  can  only  count  on  Knapp 
of  a  certainty  for  the  Donncr,  and  for  the  same 
role  I  could  have  Degele  in  Dresden  for  nothing. 
If  Herr  Knapp  insists  upon  his  fifteen  marks 
(per  day),  I  can  only  use  him  for  the  first  week 
in  July  and  the   first   week  in  August  of  this 


198     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

year,  and  he  can  then  earn  money  elsewhere  in 
the  interim. 

Honestly,  this  haggling  annoys  me!  I  will 
write  personally  to  Unger,  Fraulein  Konig,  and 
Fraulein  von  Muller.  Otherwise  everything  is 
going  very  well,  and  a  great  effort  is  being  made 
on  every  side  to  lighten  the  expenses  for  me. 

Richter  has  just  been  here  on  his  wedding 
journey.  On  the  nth  of  this  month  we  start 
ourselves  for  Pesth  and  Vienna.  Be  in  Vienna 
evening  of  March  ist.  (Nothing  but  "  Gotter- 
dammerung  "!) 

Cordial  greetings  from  house  to  house! 
Wholly  and  entirely  yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 

Hans  Richter  came  to  Bayreuth,  not  only  to 
discuss  the  approaching  concert  in  Pesth,  where 
he  was  at  that  time  musical  director,  but  to  in- 
troduce his  bride  to  Wagner. 

As  a  wedding  present,  Wagner  had  sent  him 
the  newly  published  score  of  the  "  Walkiire ' 


PRELIMINARY  REHEARSALS         199 

with  some  humourous  dedicatory  lines  referring 
to  the  firm  attitude  taken  by  Richter  during  the 
"  Rheingold  "  period  in  Munich. 

"  Gedenkt  dass  noch  in  ferncn  Tagen, 
Wie  Richter  und  Wagner  es  einst  mochten  wagen, 
Eher  Werk  und  Taktstock  zu  zerschlagen, 
Als  die  Welt  mit  schlechtem  Auffuhrungen  zu  plagen." 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Vienna,  February  27,  1875.) 
My  dearest  Friend! 

Your  kind  letter  pleased  and  gratified  me 
greatly.  Accept  my  thanks  for  your  so  unusually 
considerate  friendship. 

I  regret  that  you  are  still  obliged  to  keep  up 
such  a  "  lively  "  correspondence  with  Schott,  as 
I  can  only  infer  this  to  mean  that  you  are  meet- 
ing with  difficulties. 

.  .  .  Here  (Vienna)  I  at  once  met  with  great 
vexation.  But  now,  thanks  to  my  extraordinary 
efforts,  everything  is  going  well.  But  it  will  not 
be  easy  to  bring  the  receipts  up  to  the  desired 
amount.     The  calamity  here  is  so  great  at  the 


200  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

present  that  my  friends  have  not  dared  to  ask  the 
same  high  prices  that  they  did  three  years  ago; 
instead  of  twenty-five  florins  at  that  time,  they 
could  venture  on  only  twenty,  and  so  on  in  pro- 
portion, so  that  the  highest  gross  receipts  to  be 
expected  will  be  twelve  thousand  florins.  Every- 
where astonishment  reigns  that  at  a  time  of  gen- 
eral stagnation,  when  many  theatres  have  been 
obliged  to  close  their  doors  on  account  of  lack 
of  an  audience,  the  name  of  R.  W.  has  been  able 
to  work  such  a  miracle. 

In  Pesth  it  will  not  be  very  different,  and  I 
shall  be  obliged  to  renounce  all  idea  of  large 
receipts;  however,  I  have  resolved  to  equalise 
matters  by  repeating  the  concert  in  Vienna  on 
March  4,  namely,  at  lower  prices,  in  order  that 
the  less-well-off  public  (who  are  pining  for  this) 
will  be  able  to  come. 

It  is  to  be  assumed  that  this  second  concert 
will  also  be  filled  to  overflowing,  and  that  the 
receipts  will  prove  satisfactory,  as  the  expenses 
will  be  very  little. 


PRELIMINARY  REHEARSALS         201 

Within  the  next  few  days  I  shall  suggest  to 
the  King,  from  obligatory  considerations,  a  pri- 
vate performance  of  the  same  numbers  in  the 
Residenz  Theatre.  Whether  he  accepts  this  or 
not,  I  intend  in  any  case  to  return  by  way  of 
Munich  in  order  to  see  and  hear  the  artist  pair 
Vogel. 

My  wife  joins  me  in  greetings  and  thanks! 

I  remain  always 

Your  deeply  grateful 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  March  26,  1875.) 
Dear  Friend  Heckel! 

Many  thanks !    Much  trouble  and  vexation  — 

I    gladly   await    Herr    v.    Reichenberg,    but   my 

time  is  short 1   which  brings  me  to  ask  you  to 

arrange  the  affairs  with   Herr   Knapp.     Since 

the  conductors   are  behaving   so  badly,    I   have 

grown   tired   of   the   haggling   and   bargaining, 

1  In  German,  "  Knapp." 


202  THE   BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

and  moreover  Herr  Knapp  really  interests  me. 
Let  him  dispose  of  his  time  according  to  the 
order  of  the  rehearsals.  I  need  him  only  for 
the  "  Rheingold,"  and,  provided  he  will  sing  one 
of  the  men  in  the  "  Gotterdammerung,"  the 
other  numbers  he  can  use  for  concert  work,  etc. 
Moreover,  I  should  not  care  to  make  payments 
to  the  Mannheim  Pension  Fund  during  the  time 
that  he  is  lying  here  idle. 

In  regard  to  Unger  I  am  rather  uncertain 
just  at  present.     You  know  that! 

I  am  expecting  news  which  will  result  in  my 
seeing  Tristan '  in  Munich  April  5th  at  the 
latest;  if  Frau  Vogel  fulfils  my  expectations  and 
I  am  able  to  secure  her  for  Sieglinde,  this  will 
undoubtedly  depend  upon  my  taking  her  husband 
also.  I  can  give  him  no  other  role  than  that  of 
Logc.  For  this  reason  I  do  not  see  at  present 
what  I  could  do  with  Unger,  whom  I  know  so 
little.  He,  however,  has  left  an  impression  which 
decides  me  in  any  case  to  become  better  acquainted 
with  him.     He  must  therefore  spend  some  time 


PRELIMINARY   REHEARSALS 

in  my  neighbourhood,  purely  for  the  cause  and 
in  order  to  profit  by  my  instructions.  I  cannot, 
however,  make  any  compensation  to  him  for  his 
sojourn  here. 

Now  do  see  what  is  to  be  done!  In  the  event 
that  Frau  Vogel  definitely  displeases  me,  Unger 
would  then  serve  for  Loge. 

I  have  passed  through  much  lately  and  am  also 
not  at  all  well. 

But  in  the  end  everything  must  succeed. 

Cordial  greetings  from 

Your  faithful 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Carl  Brandt 

(Bayreuth,  April  6,  1875.) 
Dear  Herr  Brandt! 

You  can  see  what  kind  of  people  I  have  to  do 
with  in  Darmstadt!  Still  no  word  has  been  re- 
ceived from  the  Kapellmeister  there !  !  !  I  fear 
I  shall  be  obliged  to  renounce  all  claim  on  the 
Darmstadt  Orchestra.  And  now  another  thing 
which  makes  my  heart  heavy! 


204     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

I  was  at  the  theatre  again  to-day,  and  must 
confess  that,  unless  I  wish  to  perjure  myself 
shamefully,  the  architect  has  built  my  orchestra 
pit  absolutely  incorrect. 

I  cannot  accommodate  my  musicians  in  this 
space.  It  is  quite  impossible!  Nothing  remains 
to  be  done  but  to  remove  two  rows  of  seats  from 
the  auditorium  (which  is  of  no  concern)  and 
to  take  away  the  dividing  wall  and  put  it  farther 
back. 

I  will  point  this  out  to  Runckwitz  to-morrow 
(  will  you  have  the  kindness,  at  the  same  time, 
to  put  yourself  into  communication  with  Mr. 
—  Henry  VIII.1)   in  Leipzig. 

I  remember  to  have  heard  you  say,  on  this 
point,  earlier,  that  there  would  be  no  fundamental 
difficulties  in  the  way  of  removing  the  wall. 

It  is  a  matter  of  absolute  indifference  to  me, 

in   the  plan  as  a  whole,  if  a  hundred  listeners 

more  or  less  are  accommodated.     The  thing  is 

to   present  a  perfect  performance   in  every  re- 

1  Briickwald  —  his  name  just  occurs  to  me! 


PRELIMINARY   REHEARSALS  205 

spect  —  the  rest  is  a  matter  of  indifference.  But 
your  Darmstadt  musicians!  And  no  one  upon 
whom  I  can  rely  but  the  poor  "  machinist,"  whom 
I  greet  most  cordially  as  his 

Faithful 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Berlin,  April  16,  1875.) 
Dearest  Friend! 

Best  thanks  for  your  letter  which  I  found 
awaiting  me  here,  and  which  made  me  feel  at 
home,  although  it  contained  no  very  encourag- 
ing news.  .   .  . 

My  trip,  upon  which  I  started  eight  days  ago, 
has  been  so  far  only  a  chase  after  singers.  I 
have  not  been  entirely  unlucky  in  this  respect, 
and  I  also  made  the  very  delightful  acquaintance 
of  the  Braunschweig  impresario,  which  I  almost 
dare  to  hope  will  lead  to  the  Duke  becoming  a 
patron.  Everything  here  is  said  to  be  going 
well.     T  have  resolved  to  follow  up  to  the  very 


2o6     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

last  point  all  the  resources  which  Berlin  offers 
me.  Unfortunately  this  all  costs  a  great  deal  of 
money,  which  often  seems  to  be  an  unnecessary 
expenditure.   .  .  . 

May  we  recommend  our  children  and  our  house 
to  the  kind  care  of  you  and  yours,  and  for  this 
all  of  you  are  most  heartily  greeted  by  me  and 
my  wife. 

Always  yours  gratefully  and  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Bayreuth,  May  2,  1875.) 
My  dearest  Friend! 

How  right  you  were  to  insist,  above  all,  that 
the  artistic  details  in  the  execution  of  my  under- 
taking should  be  the  chief  consideration,  and 
that  our  slender  and  painfully  accrued  funds 
should  not  be  wasted  upon  the  exterior  of  our 
theatre!  The  very  justifiable  warning,  which 
was  moreover  accompanied  by  a  side  glance  at 
our   treasury,   immediately  decided   me   to  limit 


PRELIMINARY  REHEARSALS         207 

the  excavations  to  such  as  are  absolutely  indis- 
pensable for  the  immediate  environment  of  the 
theatre. 

In  any  case  I  wish  to  return  to  the  city  the 
entire  piece  of  ground  reaching  from  the  theatre 
terrace  to  the  extreme  front  entrance,  with  the 
serious  suggestion  that  this  large  piece  of  ground 
be  used  entirely  according  to  the  wisdom  of  the 
City  Council.  If  needs  be,  the  chaussee  already 
built  can  be  used  profitably  as  a  street. 

I  shall  content  myself,  then,  with  the  still  very 
considerable  space  which  now  forms  a  plateau 
surrounding  the  theatre;  the  entrance  and  exit 
can  take  place  by  way  of  the  cJiaussee  leading 
to  Burgerreuth.  I  found  yesterday,  in  a  con- 
versation with  Herr  Runckwitz,  that  this  could 
easily  be  accomplished. 

The  young  building  master  told  me  also  that 
about  five,  thousand  florins  have  already  been 
expended  on  the  excavations;  I  wish  now  that 
the  contracts  (with  especial  consideration  for 
certain    contractors)    be    annulled,    and    then    I 


208     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

would  set  aside  about  two  thousand  to  three 
thousand  florins  for  the  levelling  of  the  plateau, 
so  that  the  entire  work  of  excavation  would  cost, 
for  the  present  at  least,  only  eight  thousand 
florins. 

For,  in  the  first  place,  I  have  to  keep  in  mind 
the  rehearsals  this  summer.  If  the  next  con- 
cert in  Vienna  succeeds  according  to  my  expec- 
tations, then  I  may  well  claim  the  credit  of  hav- 
ing created  the  necessary  financial  basis  for  these 
rehearsals.  It  shall  now  be  my  chief  concern  to 
hold  this  intact  for  these  rehearsals;  on  the  other 
hand,  the  fact  that  the  city  of  Bayreuth  will  have 
to  transform  a  large  piece  of  ground  into  a  park 
for  the  Sunday  promenades  of  its  citizens,  cannot 
be  laid  to  my  ambition. 

In  the  same  way  I  shall  refrain  from  having 
anything  further  to  do  with  the  agitation  con- 
cerning the  hotel  question.  In  response  to  my 
very  first  inquiry  in  regard  to  the  accommoda- 
tion of  strangers,  I  received  the  assurance  of 
the  city  of  Bayreuth.  through  my  representative, 


PRELIMINARY  REHEARSALS         209 

that  this  question  would  be  satisfactorily  solved, 
and  it  was  only  upon  receiving  this  promise  that 
I  decided  upon  Bayreuth  as  the  home  of  my  Fes- 
tival Plav. 

I  now  rely  upon  the  sense  of  honour  of  my 
new  fellow  citizens,  and  in  the  future  shall  only 
keep  in  view  the  purely  artistic  success  of  my 
undertaking. 

In  any  case  I  shall  present  my  work  to  the 
German  public  in  three  successive  performances; 
as  to  whether  out  of  this  a  permanent  institu- 
tion will  be  formed  or  not  for  the  benefit  of  the 
city  of  Bayreuth  will  depend  largely  upon  what 
Bayreuth  does  in  the  matter. 

I  hope,  dearest  friend,  that  you  agree  with  me 
in  my  view  of  the  situation,  as  well  as  in  my 
decisions  concerning  the  same,  and  in  this  as- 
sumption I  beg  of  you  to  suggest  a  way  by  which 
my  appeal  to  the  city  to  take  back  part  of  the 
ground  given  me  may  best  be  accomplished,  as 
well  as  the  solution  of  the  question  concerning 
the  annulling  of  the  contracts  for  the  excavations. 


2io     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

I  hope  I  shall  see  you  before  my  departure, 
which,   however,   takes   place   to-morrow   after- 
noon.    In  the  meantime  I  greet  you  as  ever. 
Your  deeply  grateful 

Richard  Wagner. 

(Saturday,  May  2,  1875.) 

The  night  in  which  my  good  Russ  suddenly 
died. 

The  material  results  of  the  two  Berlin  concerts 
amounted  to  only  six  thousand  thalers;  the  ex- 
penses were  borne  by  the  Berlin  Wagner  So- 
ciety, which  demanded  in  return  six  Patrons' 
Certificates. 

Wagner  felt  himself  under  obligations  to  use 
this  small  sum,  which  was  so  incommensurate 
with  the  effort  expended  in  obtaining  it,  for  the 
approaching  rehearsals,  and  not  devote  it  to  the 
grounds  around  the  theatre. 

The  postscript  is  full  of  significance,  as  the 
dog  Russ  had  been  Wagner's  faithful  companion 
for  nine  years;    he  had  belonged  to  the  happy 


PRELIMINARY  REHEARSALS         211 

Triebschen  days  and  had  come  with  the  family 
to  Bayreuth.  At  the  time  of  the  erection  of 
Villa  Wahnfried,  Wagner  had  his  vault  built  in 
the  garden  back  of  the  house  and  covered  it  with 
a  plain  granite  slab.  At  the  foot  of  this  the 
faithful  Russ  was  buried,  and  on  a  small  stone 
tablet  the  inscription  is  still  to  be  read:  "Here 
rests  and  watches  Wagner's  Russ." 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  May  27,  1875.) 
Best  thanks  to  all 

The  Just  Men  and  their  Wives! 

My  good  wife  delighted  me  with  a  splendid 

garden  fete  on  my  birthday! 

But:  — 

Business!  — 

Unger  still  has  n't  put  in  his  appearance,  al- 
though I  have  twice  telegraphed  him  that  I  had 
something  important  in  view  for  him.  I  fear 
I  shall  be  obliged  to  give  him  up  at  the  very 
start.  .  .  . 

Pardon  me!     But  your  little  questions  about 


212     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

this  or  that,  as  to  whether  or  not  anyone  can 
be  admitted  to  the  rehearsals?  .  .  .  etc.  often 
demand  answers  which  are  not  so  easy  to  give, 
—  for  I  am  much  more  worried  than  you  seem 
to  think. 

This  year's  Preparatory  Studies,  not  rehear- 
sals, are  to  be  devoted  entirely  to  the  matter  in 
hand  and  not  to  an  audience;  from  the  ist  to 
the  15th  of  August,  however,  there  will  be  or- 
chestra rehearsals  for  placing,  seating,  sound, 
and  first  reading  of  the  score. 

Whoever  happens  to  be  there  and  conducts 
himself  modestly  will  eventually  have  an  oppor- 
tunity of  hearing  something,  but  no  special  per- 
missions for  this  will  be  given  out. 

What  difficulties  there  still  are  ahead  of  me! 

May  all  the  just  men  realise  this  and  not  be 
continually  congratulating  me  beforehand  on  my 


"  successes." 


Many  cordial  greetings. 

Yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 


PRELIMINARY   REHEARSALS  213 

The  rehearsals  were  imminent,  and  it  was  to 
get  these  under  way  that  Wagner  had  come  back 
to  Bayreuth.  During  his  long  absence  the  work 
had  accumulated;  new  singers  were  to  be  tried, 
roles  were  to  be  distributed,  and  in  the  eleventh 
hour  he  was  still  without  an  interpreter  for  his 
Siegfried. 

Only  a  Schnorr,  the  creator  of  Tristan,  seemed 
adequate  for  this  second  heroic  role,  but  this 
great  singer  had  died  suddenly  in  1865,  and  his 
loss  Wagner  mourned  afresh  when  it  came  to 
casting  the  important  role  of  Siegfried.  Vari- 
ous singers  had  been  tested  but  had  been  found 
wanting,  and  Georg  Unger  seemed  to  be  the 
only  one  who  could  come  under  serious  con- 
sideration. 

This  choice  was  due  not  so  much  to  Unger's 
unusual  vocal  gifts  as  to  his  personal  appearance 
and  great  stature,  which  fitted  him  admirably 
for  the  joyous  youthful  hero,  Siegfried. 

The  conditions  upon  which  he  was  accepted 
at  Bayreuth  were  that  he  should  leave  the  stage 


j i4  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

for  a  year  and  devote  himself  exclusively  to  the 
preparation  of  the  role,  and  in  addition  devote 
himself  to  serious  voice  work  with  Professor 
Julius  Hey  in  Munich. 

Wagner  himself  studied  the  role  with  him 
word  by  word,  note  by  note,  and  wrought  a 
marvellous  transformation  in  Unger  both  as  an 
actor  and  an  artist.  Hey,  in  his  "  Reminis- 
cences," writes  that: 

"  The  sixty-two-year-old  Wagner  not  only 
made  clear  to  Unger  every  passage  of  the  '  Sieg- 
fried '  score,  in  regard  to  meaning,  mood,  vocal 
technic,  and  plasticity  in  the  treatment  of  the 
text,  but  also  endeavoured  to  influence  his  entire 
character,  so  as  to  bring  Unger  into  closer  har- 
mony with  that  of  the  '  hero  without  fear.' 

Wagner,  according  to  the  testimony  of  his  ar- 
tists, had  a  marvellous  gift  of  vitalizing  the 
music,  and  as  a  singer  without  a  voice  he  made 
the  dramatic  situation  so  vivid  as  to  create  an 
indelible  impression  upon  all  present.  Hey  re- 
lates  a    little   anecdote    from    the    "  Siegfried ' 


PRELIMINARY  REHEARSALS         215 

rehearsal,  where  at  the  point  where  Mime  utters 
his  second  distressed  cry  of  "  Fafner !  "  Wag- 
ner's voice  broke  on  the  high  A,  producing  an 
irresistibly  comical  effect.  He  laughed  immod- 
erately, as  did  everyone  else,  and  cried:  "  Where 
shall  I  hide  myself!     There  is  no  anvil  here!  " 

To  quote  Hey  further :  "  How  did  this  voice, 
which  in  reality  was  no  voice  at  all,  succeed  in 
producing  such  moving  tone  nuances,  so  as  to 
present  in  the  clearest  manner  every  varying 
phase  of  emotion!  And  in  addition  a  dramatic 
declamation  which  penetrated  to  the  very  bottom 
of  the  listener's  soul !  " 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  June  6,  1876.) 
Dear  Friend! 

I  beg  of  you  to  make  inquiries  about  Brahms' 

present  residence  and  have  this  letter  sent  to  him. 

Everything   is   going   on    fairly   well !     More 

later ! 

Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 


216  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

In  order  to  understand  this  reference  to 
Brahms,  it  is  necessary  to  go  back  almost  a 
decade  and  a  half  in  the  life  of  Wagner,  to  the 
period  when  he  returned  from  his  Parisian  exile. 
He  went  to  Vienna,  where  there  seemed  to  be 
a  somewhat  vague  prospect  for  a  performance  of 
his  "  Tristan,"  which,  however,  eventually  took 
place  in  Munich  in  1865.  The  friends  who  stood 
nearest  to  him  at  this  time  were  Peter  Cornelius 
and  Carl  Tausig,  the  former  of  whom,  out  of 
genuine  enthusiasm  for  the  Master  and  his  music, 
had  offered  to  copy  the  score  of  the  Parisian 
arrangement  of  the  "  Tannhauser,"  as  the  origi- 
nal one  was  much  the  worse  for  wear. 

When  this  labour  of  love  was  finished,  the 
Cornelius  copy  (with  German  text)  was  given  to 
Wagner,  and  the  original  manuscript  (in  French) 
Cornelius  coolly  kept  for  himself,  although  noth- 
ing was  further  from  Wagner's  intentions  than 
to  make  him  a  present  of  it.  Later  this  original 
manuscript,  at  that  time  unpublished,  in  some 
mysterious  way  came  into  the  possession  of  Carl 


PRELIMINARY  REHEARSALS         217 

Tausig,  who  took  the  further  liberty  of  giving 
it  to  none  other  than  Johannes  Brahms,  a  musi- 
cian considered  by  the  Wagnerian  party  to  be 
the  arch  enemy  of  the  music  being  made  by  the 
Master  of  Bayreuth. 

In  August,  1865,  Wagner  made  an  attempt  to 
regain  possession  of  the  original  manuscript  and 
demanded  that  Cornelius  should  write  to  Brahms. 
This  he  did,  but  the  letter  remained  unanswered. 
He  also  wrote  to  Tausig,  saying: 

"That  is  a  stupid  affair  with  Brahms!  You 
are  supposed  to  have  given  him  that  scene  from 
'  Tannhauser  ' !  " 

Wagner's  wife,  at  that  time  the  wife  of 
Hans  von  Bulow,  also  wrote  to  Brahms,  but  in 
vain. 

The  only  intimation  he  gave  of  having  re- 
ceived these  various  requests  is  found  in  a  few- 
lines  to  Cornelius  saying  that  he  did  "  not  wish 
to  return  the  manuscript  given  him."  Years 
went  by,  and  finally  Wagner  was  obliged  to  take 
the  matter   in  hand,   as  he  needed   the  manu- 


218     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

script  for  the  new  edition  of  the  "  Tannhauser  ' 
scene. 

In  order  to  make  sure  that  the  letter  contain- 
ing a  personal  request  should  reach  Brahms,  he 
sent  it  in  care  of  Heckel. 

The  request  read:  "  I  am  told  that  you  claim 
this  manuscript  on  the  ground  that  it  was  given 
to  you  by  Peter  Cornelius,  but  I  am  not  able 
to  credit  this  statement,  as  Cornelius,  to  whom 
I  lent  but  by  no  means  gave  this  manuscript, 
could  not  possibly  have  passed  it  on  to  a  third 
person,  and  he  solemnly  assures  me  that  he  did 
not  do  so.  It  is  probably  unnecessary  to  re- 
mind you  of  these  facts,  and  assume  that  no 
further  explanation  will  be  necessary  in  order 
to  induce  you  to  return  the  manuscript,  which 
for  you  could  have  only  the  value  of  a  curiosity, 
but  which  to  my  son  would  be  a  highly  valued 
souvenir."  Still  Brahms  adhered  to  the  stand- 
point that  possession  is  nine  points  of  the  law, 
and  it  was  not  until  Frau  Wagner  had  written 
that  he  consented  to  an  exchange,  by  the  terms  of 


PRELIMINARY  REHEARSALS         219 

which  he  was  to  have  a  copy  of  the  "  Meister- 
singer  "  score,  and  a  page  of  some  original  Wag- 
ner manuscript,  but  in  the  end  had  to  content 
himself  with  an  edition  de  luxe  of  the  "  Rhein- 
gold  "  score.  This  is  the  Brahms  episode  as  it 
is  recorded  by  C.  F.  Glasenapp. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Bayreuth,  June  9,  1875.) 
Dearest  Friend! 

There  seems  to  be  no  end  of  my  demands  upon 
you  for  payments  of  various  sorts,  without  my 
having  been  able  to  deposit  with  your  treasurer 
fresh  supplies  for  myself.  This  I  hope  to  be 
able  to  do  within  the  next  few  days.  .  .  . 

I  shall  try  to  keep  my  time  free  for  the  next 
meeting  of  our  "  circle,"  and  beg  of  you  to  in- 
form the  gentlemen  this  evening  that  I  hope  to 
beg  their  pardon  in  sackcloth  and  ashes  next 
Thursday. 

Ach,  Gott!  if  friends  would  just  drop  in  any 
evening!     The   devil    is   to   pay   here   at   eight 


220     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

o'clock;  there  is  always  beer  and  also  cigars; 
you  could  seat  yourselves  in  the  garden  before 
the  music-room  and  we  would  make  music  for 
you.     But  —  ? ! 

Cordial  greetings  from 

Your  ever  grateful 

Richard  Wagner. 


To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  June  25,  1875.) 

How  now!  Friend  Heckel!  Do  you  change 
your  opinion  so  easily?  Not  long  ago  you  de- 
fended Unger  —  now  you  believe  in  Jager  ?  — 
Well,  I  have  already  begun  with  Unger,  and  have 
taken  a  great  deal  of  trouble  in  overcoming  his 
Saxon  vocalisation,  which  made  his  voice  com- 
pletely unrecognisable,  until  now  I  hope  to  be 
able  to  get  along  with  him  better  than  any  tenor 
I  know.  I  shall  keep  him  here  all  the  time;  he 
was  apparently  lost,  but  he  is  a  person  not  with- 
out energy.     Jager  is  excellent,  but  — 


PRELIMINARY   REHEARSALS  221 

The  entertainment  question  is  now  entering  a 
new  phase :   we  shall  be  obliged  to  manage  with- 
out building  any  new  hotels. 
Cordial  greetings  from 

Your  faithful  composer, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Carl  Brandt 

(Visiting  card,  not  dated.) 
(At  the  theatre.) 
To  Herr  Carl  Brandt. 

Professor  Doeppler  is  here  with  beautiful  de- 
signs.    Do  come,  if  not  at  once  to  supper,  at 

least  as  soon  as  possible. 

R.    W. 

The  first  musical  sounds  which  were  heard  in 
the  new  Festival  Theatre  were  on  June  24,  1875. 

The  entire  artist  personnel,  as  well  as  many 
invited  guests,  had  assembled  to  inspect  the  new 
scenery  for  "  Rheingold  "  and  "  Die  YValkiire." 
When  Wagner  had  satisfied  himself  that  all  was 
in  order,  he  clasped  his  hands  and  cried: 


222     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

1  Now,  children,  go  on  the  stage  and  let  us 
hear  something!  " 

The  women  climbed  over  the  frail  planks  bridg- 
ing the  orchestral  pits  and  gave  with  irresistible 
effect  the  first  scene  from  the  "  Rheingold,"  with 
Alberick's  sinister  voice  sounding  from  some  in- 
visible corner. 

The  three  singers  who  were  to  open  the 
'  Ring  ':  with  the  beautiful  terzet  of  the  Rhine 
maidens  were  Lilli  Lehmann,  her  sister  Marie, 
and  Fraulein  Lammert. 

To  present  this  scene  with  proper  realism  was 
one  of  the  most  difficult  problems  with  which 
the  stage  machinists  were  confronted. 

Not  only  had  the  singers  to  make  the  move- 
ments which  would  correspond  with  the  music 
and  suggest  their  watery  home,  but  these  same 
movements  must  be  executed  by  the  cages  in 
which  they  were  fastened. 

One  man  was  needed  to  steer  the  Undines,  an- 
other to  see  that  they  were  raised,  lowered,  or 
shifted  at  the  proper  time,  and  such  musicians 


PRELIMINARY  REHEARSALS         223 

as  Anton  Seidl,  Felix  Mottl,  and  Franz  Fischer, 
each  one  provided  with  a  carefully  marked  score, 
sat  in  the  cages  to  give  the  signal  for  the  vari- 
ous movements  to  the  machinists. 

Wagner  was  in  a  terrible  state  of  anxiety  over 
this  scene,  but  was  comforted  after  seeing  the 
detailed  plan  which  Richard  Fricke,  his  ballet- 
master,  had  worked  out  for  its  satisfactory 
execution. 

Fricke  compared  the  three  young  directors 
with  their  scores  to  dancers  executing  a  pas 
de  trois,  and  gave  frank  expression  to  his  doubts 
concerning  the  singers :  "  It  is  not  clear  to  me 
how  the  singers  will  have  the  courage  to  lie 
in  such  a  machine  —  and,  moreover,  to  sing. 
Not  alone  on  account  of  the  difficulty  of  sing- 
ing in  a  half-upright  position,  but  they  will  not 
be  able  to  produce  a  tone  out  of  sheer  fright. 
I  am  very  curious  to  see  how  it  will  turn  out." 

Three  of  the  men  belonging  to  the  band  of 
Nibcliaigs  were  first  put  into  the  cages  as  figu- 
rantes, and  then  the  day  came  when   the  three 


224     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Rhine  maidens  were  to  perform  their  task  for 
the  first  time.  As  soon  as  Lilli  Lehmann  caught 
sight  of  the  cages,  she  cried :  "  No,  no  one  could 
expect  me  to  do  such  a  thing;  I  shall  not  do 
it  under  any  circumstances.  I  am  just  out  of 
a  sick-bed,  and  am  already  as  dizzy  as  I  can  be." 

Fricke  used  his  powers  of  persuasion  to  better 
purpose  with  Marie,  who  with  shrieks  and  cries 
was  strapped  into  her  cage  and  the  "  swimming  " 
lesson  began.  Upon  her  solemn  assurance  that 
'  it  was  not  as  bad  as  it  looked,"  Lilli  Lehmann 
and  Fraulein  Lammert  let  themselves  be  per- 
suaded, and  were  soon  swimming  about  in  the 
bravest  possible  manner.  Wagner  was  beside 
himself  with  joy,  and  embraces  and  kisses  were 
the  immediate  reward  of  his  courageous  Rhine 
maidens. 

On  the  ist  of  August,  1875,  the  orchestral  and 
ensemble  rehearsals  began. 

Tt  was  then  that  the  effect  of  the  invisible 
orchestra  was  tested.  Wagner  assigned  his  mu- 
sicians  their   place   in   the   "  mystic   abyss,"   ac- 


PRELIMINARY  REHEARSALS         225 

cording  to  the  arrangement  which  to-day  is  so 
convincing.  The  strings  were  placed  under  the 
upper  sounding-board,  the  harps  and  woodwinds 
in  the  uncovered  space,  in  order  that  their  deli- 
cate quality  might  assert  itself,  and  the  brasses 
and  instruments  of  percussion  were  relegated  to 
a  position  under  the  stage  projection,  in  order 
that  the  aggressiveness  of  their  tone  might  be 
modified.  The  results  justified  in  the  highest 
degree  the  expectations  of  Wagner  and  the  as- 
sembled listeners.  The  volume  of  sound  sur- 
prised by  its  ideal  tonal  beauty;  everything  ma- 
terial seemed  to  have  been  fully  eliminated,  and 
every  figuration,  even  in  the  middle  voices,  came 
out  with  startling  distinctness.  The  most  pains- 
taking effort  was  expended  upon  every  detail  of 
the  performance. 

How  could  it  be  otherwise  when  a  conductor 
with  the  ardour  of  Hans  Richter  was  at  the 
helm,  and  when  the  violinist,  August  Wilhelmj, 
performed  the  functions  of  concert-master ;  when 
each  musician  was  filled  with  ardent  enthusiasm, 


226     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

and  when  encompassing  the  whole  was  Wagner's 
spirit,  arranging,  supervising,  inspiring,  and  en- 
couraging! For  every  detail  he  found  a  remedy, 
which  was  often  the  result  of  momentary  inspira- 
tion, and  much,  which  neither  the  printed  text 
nor  the  carefully  marked  score  revealed,  sug- 
gested itself  only  at  the  moment  of  actual  con- 
tact of  the  work  with  the  stage. 

A  small  table  furnished  with  a  petroleum  lamp 
and  a  box  which  served  as  a  support  for  the. 
score  was  placed  for  Wagner  on  the  stage,  and 
from  this  vantage-point  he  kept  watch  over  the 
conductor  and  the  progress  of  events  on  the 
stage. 

A  picture  of  Wagner  as  he  appeared  at  these 
rehearsals  has  been  preserved  for  us  by  the 
genius  of  Adolph  von  Menzel,  the  great  German 
historical  painter. 

Wagner's  idea  in  these  rehearsals  was  not  to 
proceed  from  the  single  point  to  the  whole,  but 
just  the  reverse.  First  the  whole,  and  then  the 
working  out  of  details,  so  that  as  a  result  of 


PRELIMINARY   REHEARSALS  227 

this  method  something  relatively  perfect  was  ac- 
complished, and  the  rehearsals,  so  far  as  orches- 
tral and  voice  parts  were  concerned,  differed  but 
little  from  the  eventual  public  performances. 

Everyone  who  was  permitted  to  take  part  in 
these  rehearsals  in  any  capacity  whatever  had 
the  feeling  that  here  a  new  epoch  of  musical 
history  was  being  ushered  in. 

Among  the  invited  guests  was  Franz  Liszt, 
who  gave  expression  to  this  same  thought  in  a 
letter  written  at  that  time :  "  I  recently  heard 
twenty  rehearsals  of  that  wonderful  work  '  The 
Nibelung's  Ring."  It  towers  over  and  dominates 
our  art  epoch  as  does  Mont  Blanc  the  other 
mountain  peaks." 

Three  years  earlier,  Wilhelmj's  official  ap- 
pointment to  his  responsible  post  was  made  by 
Wagner  in  the  following  letter: 

(Bayreuth,  June  3,  1872.) 
My  dear  Herr  Wilhehnj! 

Upon   my   largest   sheet   of   writing  paper,   I 

confirm  your  appointment  as 


228     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Concert-Master  of  the  Orchestra 
for  the  performance  of  the 

"  Ring  of  the  Nibelung  " 
in 
Bayrcuth. 
As  I  see  that  your  delightful  offer  to  stand  by 
me   in   the  capacity  of  concert-master   was   not 
made  jestingly,   it  is  only  fitting  that  I   should 
also  take  the  matter  very  seriously,  as  you  will 
see  from  the  above. 

With  the  greatest  seriousness,  my  friend,  let 
us  from  to-day  pledge  ourselves  to  think  solici- 
tously of  the  formation  of  our  orchestra,  above 
all,  of  an  orchestra  free  from  the  traditional  evil 
habits;  to  exchange  opinions  on  the  subject,  and 
at  all  times  to  take  such  steps  as  will  insure 
an  organisation  of  great  excellence. 

You  undoubtedly  wish  and  desire  this  as  much 
as  I  do;  this  I  recognised  in  you,  who  at  such 
an  early  age  have  become  so  celebrated  a  master 
of  your  instrument. 

Let  us  then,  from  now  on,  be  united  in  this 


PRELIMINARY  REHEARSALS         229 

extraordinary  work,  and  permit  me,  in  addition  to 
all  the  other  arrangements  which  will  be  made 
to  your  satisfaction,  to  proclaim  you  as  my  valued 
Master  of  Musicians,  as  which  you  will  partici- 
pate in  all  the  success  which  will  not  be  denied 
our  work.  With  the  most  cordial  greetings 
from  me  and  my  wife,  I  remain 

Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Carl  Brandt 

(Bayreuth,  September  21,  1875.) 
Dear  and  valued  Friend! 

We  have  got  into  a  terrible  state  of  procras- 
tination, and  I  turn  to  you,  as  my  sole  real  con- 
fidant and  sympathetic  associate  in  the  work,  to 
enjoin  upon  you  to  exert  all  of  your  strength 
to  change  matters. 

What  help  would  it  be  to  me  to  insist  upon 
Bruckner's  coming  over  to  Bayreuth  if  you  were 
not  here  at  the  same  time?  Bruckwald  pretends 
to  be  without  help  in  executing  his  models,  but 
promises  to  be  ready  in  time. 


230  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Now  you  arrange  a  time  for  a  general  meet- 
ing; this  must  take  place  in  October,  because  I 
am  obliged  to  be  at  Vienna  during  November 
and  half  of  December.  Therefore,  after  con- 
sulting with  the  others,  you  decide  this  matter, 
and  I  shall  support  you  by  especial  exhortations 
to  the  parties  concerned.  So  let  it  be !  And  ac- 
cept cordial  greetings  from 

Your  very  faithful 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Vienna,  November  4,  1875.) 
Dearest  Friend! 

I  have  taken  cold  and  am  exhausted  and  kept 
back  by  the  bad  accommodations  in  the  hotel 
decided  upon  beforehand.  Since  yesterday,  how- 
ever, I  am  well  taken  care  of  in  Hotel  Imperial, 
and  expect  to  continue  the  rehearsals  to-morrow. 

For  to-day  only  the  information,  as  briefly  as 
possible,  that  it  is  settled  that  the  royal  residence 
in   Bayreuth   shall  be  left  for  the  royal  guests; 


PRELIMINARY  REHEARSALS  231 

if  the  Emperor  should  come,  the  King  of  Bavaria 
would  give  up  his  own  suite;  as  for  the  rest, 
nothing  but  the  most  distressing  complaints  and 
disclosures  about  —  the  well-known  conditions. 

This  is  what  I  wanted  to  write  you.  Now  re- 
main faithful  to  me,  as  I  shall  always  remain 
grateful  to  you. 

Cordially  yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Vienna,  November  n,  1875.) 

Allervorzuglichster  Patroncnlader! a 

Otherwise  it  is  going  so-so! —  A  cantor, 
Fischer,  in  Zwickau,  has  recently  collected  six 
and  three-quarter  Patrons'  Certificates,  sent  six 
thousand  marks,  with  the  inquiry  if  this  sum 
would  entitle  him  to  a  free  seat  (!!!).  Tann- 
hauser  "  here  the  21st  of  this  month  (!!) —  I 
have  none  of  the  rehearsal  plans  with  me;   have 

1  No  English  equivalent  can  be  found  for  this  inscription, 
as  the  expression  Patroncnlader  is  a  play  on  words  referring  to 
Heckel's  efforts  in  regard  to  the  Society  of  Patrons. 


2  $2  THE   BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

one  sent  you  from  Feustel  or  Fischer   ("  Nibe- 
lung  Kanzelei  "). 

Many  cordial  greetings  from  your  harassed 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Vienna,  November  14,  1875.) 
.  .  .  Does  our  great  cause  seem  to  be  moving 
forward    without    interruption?      Yesterday    a 
Prince  ski   made   inquiries   concerning   Pa- 
trons' Certificates;    referred  him  to  you. 

Heckel  announces  four  items,  etc.  I  suffer 
here  from  great  weariness  and  take  but  little 
pleasure  in  the  matter.  In  the  forenoon,  very 
taxing  rehearsals,  when  I  am  obliged  to  show 
these  people  how  to  do  everything;  after  this, 
complete  change  of  clothing,  rest  in  bed;  towards 
evening,  a  little  exercise  (without  Angermann).1 

1  Kietz,  the  Dresden  sculptor,  has  given  a  picture  of  this 
favourite  resort  of  Wagner  and  his  disciples  in  his  reminiscences: 

"What  life  there  is  here!  It  is  impossible  to  recognise  the 
Bayreuth  of  1873.  The  quiet  streets  of  the  little  ducal  residence 
are  full  of  people.  At  Angermann 's,  in  the  long  narrow  room 
which  the  artists  have  christened  'The  Catacombs,'  there  are 
the  most  hilarious  proceedings.  After  the  rehearsals  everyone 
goes  to  the  '  Catacombs.'  " 


PRELIMINARY  REHEARSALS         233 

In  the  evening,  the  theatre  (very  bad!)  or  some 
tiresome  entertainment. 

The  sole  consolation  is  that  it  is  progressing, 
and  I  hope  to  be  at  home  again  by  the  middle 
of  December  at  the  latest. 

The  children  are  already  looking  forward  to 
the  day  of  our  departure.  A  thousand  greetings, 
dearest  friend,  and  at  least  five  hundred  for  the 
good  Gross.1 

Ever  in  faithful  gratitude, 

Yours  devotedly, 

Richard  Wagner. 

1  The  right-hand  man  of  Feustel  during  the  troublesome 
Bayreuth  days  was  his  son-in-law,  Adolph  Gross,  who  from  the 
very  beginning  was  initiated  with  every  detail  connected  with  the 
enterprise,  and  his  knowledge  of  persons  and  things  was  so  exten- 
sive and  so  accurate  that  he  was  a  living  archive  of  Bayreuth. 

He  was  destined  to  be  the  future  "  Bismarck  of  Bayreuth  " 
and  to  despatch  misunderstandings,  confusion,  and  threatened 
dangers  with  statesmanlike  ability. 


THE   FIRST   BAYREUTH   FESTIVAL 

1876 

To  Carl  Brandt 

(Bayreuth,  January  3,  1876.) 
My  dear  Friend! 

I  regret  exceedingly  to  have  heard  nothing  of 
you  for  so  long!  No  other  cause  of  anxiety  leads 
me  to  write  to  you  than  this  —  because  it  is  al- 
ways so  comforting  for  me  to  receive  a  sign  of 
life  from  you.  We  are,  of  a  truth,  the  only  two 
who  have  understood  each  other  from  the  be- 
ginning as  to  the  execution  of  the  work,  and 
the  most  beautiful  experience  so  far  was  the 
reception  on  your  finished  stage.  Why  have  you 
not  thought  even  once  of  me  of  late? 

There    are    many    reasons    which    excuse    my 
silence! 

I  have  not  had  an  easy  time  since  the  close 
of    our    rehearsals.      Surrounded    by    deceivers, 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         235 

contract  breakers,  and  scoundrels  of  all  sorts, 
it  has  been  long  since  I  have  drawn  a  free 
breath. 

I  have  really  nothing  to  say  to  you  at  present 
about  business.  Difficulties  of  all  sorts,  and  yet 
a  firm  will  and  confidence! 

Frau  Jaide  has  written  me  a  very  nice  letter. 
She  is  evidently  the  biggest  artistic  talent  and 
the  most  sensible  artist  in  our  ensemble.  I  was 
right  in  estimating  her  highly  from  the  very 
start.  It  is  possible  that,  without  being  given 
one  of  the  larger  roles,  she  will  serve  me  best 
by  undertaking  two  episodes,  both  of  which  re- 
quire as  conspicuous  an  artist  as  do  the  largest 
roles. 

Without  such  an  artist  it  would  be  impossible 
to  give  these  episodes  with  the  strong  effect 
necessary,  and  in  which  lie  the  strength  and  dis- 
tinction of  our  performances  as  a  whole. 

Remember  me  to  this  great  artist  and  promise 
her  a  speedy  token  of  my  esteem ! 

And   now   hearty   greetings    to   son,    mother, 


236  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

daughter,  and,  above  all,  to  your  wife.       The 
same  from  my  wife,  the  much-tormented  one! 

Both   of  us   look  forward  to  receiving  good 
news  from  you. 
Cordially, 

Your  faithful  colleague, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  February  4,  1876.) 

Dearest,  best  Friend! 

In  answer  to  the  question  "  How  are  all  of 
you  ? '  there  is  much  that  could  be  said !  The 
world,  and  particularly  Germania,  is  becoming 
more  and  more  odious  to  me! 

Our  cares  are  great,  and,  on  the  whole,  the 
project  of  allowing  our  performances  to  take 
place  this  year  seems  foolhardy.  The  number 
of  our  Patrons'  Certificates  reaches  only  four 
hundred  and  ninety;  while,  according  to  the 
latest  calculations,  thirteen  hundred  are  neces- 
sarv  in  order  to  come  out  even. 


A  sketch  by  Adolph  Menzel  of  Wagner  at  Bayreuth 


FIRST  BAYREUTH   FESTIVAL         237 

The  undertaking  as  originally  planned  is  there- 
fore fully  shipwrecked.  Now  we  must  take  the 
risk  of  seeing  what  curiosity  will  eventually  do 
for  our  cause.  Even  Feustel  believes  that  we  may 
make  this  venture;  but  we  anticipate  a  lack  of 
funds  in  June,  etc.,  when  the  musicians  and 
singers  arrive  and  will  wish  to  draw  their  money. 
I  solicited  a  loan  of  thirty  thousand  thalers  from 
the  Emperor.  When  I  go  to  Berlin  in  May  to 
look  after  Tristan,"  —  in  which  I  have  no 
great  faith,  —  I  shall  see  what  can  be  done.  For 
the  rest,  we  must  put  a  good  face  on  the  matter 
here.  Everything  will  be  ready  (on  credit!) ;  the 
artistic  details  of  the  performance  will  be  car- 
ried out  to  a  point  of  the  highest  perfection. 
Brandt  —  as  ever,  excellent  —  my  chief  support. 

Aside  from  Scaria,1  I  have  come  across  no  re- 

1  Emil  Scaria  was  a  Vienna  singer,  whom  Wagner  hoped  to  secure 
for  the  role  of  Eager,  but  his  demands  seemed  so  excessive  that 
he  was  obliged  to  relinquish  the  idea,  and  the  first  Bayreuth 
Festival  took  place  without  the  desired  co-operation  of  Scaria. 
Wagner  who  recognised  this  artist's  talent  and  capacity  for  the 
role,  wrote  to  him:  "  If  any  rich  man  or  monarch  were  backing 
me,  as  you  erroneously  seem  to  suppose,  I  should  not  hesitate  to 
comply  with  your  demands  secretly  !  "     Fortunately  Scaria  was  a 


23S  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

luctance  among  the  singers;  everyone  seems  to 
stick  to  the  cause  with  fine  courage.  I  shall  know 
how  to  help  myself  even  if  Scaria  does  not  mend 
his  ways  at  the  last  moment;  however,  I  have 
not  entirely  given  him  up  yet.  Otherwise  there 
is  nothing  new.  Cordial  greetings  to  your  wife 
and  friends  from  me  and  mine.  If  you  could 
practise  a  little  sorcery,  it  would  be  most  wel- 
come to  me. 

But  I  remain  always 

Yours  most  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

Wagner  had  returned  to  his  former  scheme 
of  making  a  direct  appeal  to  the  German  Em- 
peror, as  he  had  learned  that  a  certain  sum  for 
the  advancement  of  national  interests  had  been 
placed  at  this  monarch's  disposal,  to  be  used  as 
he  deemed  best. 


conspicuous  exception,  as  the  other  artists  gave  themselves  heart 
and  soul  to  the  undertaking,  and  only  demanded  sufficient  com- 
pensation to  make  it  possible  for  them  to  devote  all  of  their  time 
to  the  rehearsals. 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         239 

Wagner  writes  that  he  had  been  assured  that 
the  Emperor  had  agreed  to  this  request  and  had 
recommended  it  to  the  chancellorship,  but  the 
finance  minister  Delbriick  had  dissuaded  the  Em- 
peror from  his  purpose. 

From  his  private  funds  the  Emperor  took 
twenty-five  Patrons'  Certificates,  but  the  small 
sum  was  but  a  fraction  of  the  million  marks 
necessary  to  establish  for  all  time  a  model  the- 
atre —  to  make  of  Bayreuth,  in  fact,  a  high 
school  of  German  art. 

It  was  only  when  King  Ludwig  again  came 
to  the  rescue  with  a  loan  of  two  hundred  thou- 
sand marks  that  Wasrner  decided  to  adhere  to 
his  plan  of  having  the  Festival  in  1876. 

In  addition  to  these  anxieties  about  his  great 
enterprise,  he  was  weighed  down  with  cares  of 
a  private  nature.  He  had  built  and  furnished 
Villa  Wahnfried,  which  had  become  a  rendez- 
vous for  the  Bayreuth  personnel  and  guests, 
and  this  broad  hospitality  demanded  unceasing 
expenditure. 


24o  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  April  8,  1876.) 
Dearest  Friend! 

Within  the  next  few  days  an  announcement 

will  be  made  in  regard  to  the  free  places,  which 

will   undoubtedly   prove   highly    satisfactory   to 

you! 

Cordial  greetings, 

Yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 

Open  Letter  to  Burgomaster  Muncker 

(Bayreuth,  June  4,  1876.) 
Highly  esteemed  Herr  Burgomaster! 

A  short  time  ago  the  local  "  Tageblatt  "  con- 
tained a  friendly  welcome  to  the  artists  who  are 
now  arriving  to  take  part  in  the  approaching 
Festival  Play,  and  I  take  it  for  granted  that  this 
editorial  expression  voiced  the  sentiments  of  the 
citizens  of  Bayreuth.  I  now  feel  impelled,  in  the 
name  of  the  artists  as  well  as  in  my  own  posi- 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         241 

tion  as  citizen  of  the  town  which  has  bestowed 
upon  you  the  honourable  position  of  its  first  mag- 
istrate, to  express  to  you  my  gratitude  for  the 
unusual  solicitude  which  you  especially,  Herr 
Burgomaster,  have  given  to  the  reception  and 
entertainment  of  my  guests. 

It  is  a  task  which  has  required  genuine  self- 
sacrifice  on  your  part. 

Nor  can  I  make  any  allusion  to  this  feature  of 
your  very  effective  co-operation  without  express- 
ing my  appreciation  of  the  active  and  untiring 
support  which  you,  in  conjunction  with  the  entire 
local  administrative  body  of  Bayreuth,  have  de- 
voted for  years  to  the  advancement  of  this  part 
of  our  enterprise. 

It  is  only  here  upon  the  spot,  after  close  scru- 
tiny of  the  effective  participation  of  the  city 
authorities,  that  all  those  who  until  now  had 
not  been  able  to  understand  why  a  larger  and 
healthier  city  was  not  chosen  for  the  exe- 
cution of  my  plans  were  obliged  to  confirm  the 
wisdom  of  my  choice.     In  no  other  place  would 


24  2  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

I  have  been  assured  of  such  a  degree  of  self- 
sacrificing  support  on  the  part  of  the  Civic  Coun- 
cil, and  it  was  this  which  prepossessed  me  so 
strongly  upon  my  first  acquaintance  with  the 
leading  local  authorities. 

Even  though  I  am  obliged  to  reserve  for  the 
more  fitting  moment  of  our  final  great  success 
an  adequate  expression  of  my  gratitude  for  the 
unusually  effective,  yes,  unique,  sympathy  of- 
fered by  the  Administrative  Council,  composed 
of  yourself  and  your  highly  esteemed  friends, 
to  the  unusually  difficult  execution  of  my  plans, 
1  hold  it,  nevertheless,  to  be  my  duty  to-day  to 
express  my  appreciation  of  the  work  of  the  civic 
administration  of  Bayreuth,  as  I  have  been  sur- 
prised to  see  the  zeal  of  the  same  administration 
exposed  to  suspicion  in  announcements  made 
public  within  the  last  few  days.  Our  local  af- 
fairs have  such  a  wide-reaching  interest  that 
these  announcements  could  easily  lead  to  incred- 
ibly false  constructions  and  misunderstandings. 

In  the  consciousness  of  having  written  in  this 


FIRST  BAYREUTH   FESTIVAL         243 

letter  quite  in  accordance  with  the  sentiments  of 
our  recently  welcomed  artistic  guests,  I  greet 
you  also,  in  the  name  of  my  artistic  colleagues, 
esteemed  Herr  Burgomaster,  and  remain  with 
unceasing  gratitude  and  the  highest  respect, 
Yours  very  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Burgomaster  Theodor  Muncker 

(Bayreuth,  July  23,  1876.) 
Highly  esteemed  Friend  I 

I  have  only  just  seen  the  announcement  of 
the  Executive  Council,  according  to  which  my 
wish  to  try  the  acoustics  of  the  hall  next  Tuesday 
by  filling  it,  is  to  be  met  by  offering  the  seats 
for  sale. 

I  cannot  possibly  allow  this,  as  we  are  obliged 
to  rehearse  very  seriously  that  day  (with  a  quite 
new  singer,  Herr  Siehr),  and  while  I  could  well 
afford  to  allow  my  local  acquaintances  and 
friends  to  be  present,  I  could  never  extend  this 
permission  to  those  who  paid  for  admission,  as 


244     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

amongst    them    would   assuredly   be    found  ex- 
tremely critical  and  questionable  elements. 

I  beg  of  you  to  induce  our  esteemed  friends 
of  the  Executive  Council  to  retract  this  announce- 
ment, as  otherwise  I  should  find  myself  compelled 
to  change  the  rehearsal. 
With  the  deepest  respect, 

Yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 

Wagner  had  intended  that  this  acoustic  trial 
should  be  done  by  filling  the  house  with  soldiers 
from  the  Bayreuth  barracks. 

To  Burgomaster  Tiieodor  Muncker 

(Bayreuth,  July  23,  1876.) 
Most  esteemed  Herr  Burgomaster! 

It  was  hinted  to  me  this  evening  by  our  friend 
Gross  that  our  highly  esteemed  Herr  Feustel 
regards  the  countermanding  of  the  attendance  on 
Tuesday  "  for  pay  "  as  an  insult  to  himself,  and 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         245 

accordingly  would  withdraw  his  so  very  valuable 
assistance  from  our  Executive  Council. 

In  the  face  of  this  genuine  calamity  I  resolved 
to  let  things  take  the  course  wished  by  Herr 
Feustel;  after  further  consideration  of  the  mat- 
ter, I  must,  however,  declare  that  I,  for  my  part, 
will  not  be  present  at  the  rehearsal,  and  that  I 
intend  to  leave  the  singers  to  themselves;  may 
the  consequences  not  prove  injurious! 

With  respectful  greetings, 

Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

Inscription  under  a  photograph  of  himself 
given  to  Emil  Heckel  immediately  after  the  close 
of  the  first  Festival. 

O  Freund  Heckel 
Es  war  doch  gut ! 

Richard  Wagner. 
(Bayreuth,  1876.) 

In  an  address  to  his  personnel  at  the  close  of 
the  rehearsal  in  1875,  Wagner  said:  "The  first 


246     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

troubles  have  been  overcome.  Within  a  short 
time  we  must  bring  to  perfection  a  genuine  heroic 
deed.  If  we  perform  it  in  such  a  manner  as  I 
now  distinctly  see  that  we  shall  do,  then  we  may 
well  say  with  justice  —  we  have  done  a  great 
deed!" 

And  now  the  time  had  come  to  present  this 
'  great  deed  '  to  a  half -confident,  half-cynical, 
but  wholly  expectant  art  world. 

On  June  3  active  preparations  were  resumed 
for  the  "  Ring  of  the  Nibelung."  For  six  weeks 
these  rehearsals  continued;  first  the  instrumental 
groups  and  vocalists  were  taken  separately,  next 
came  the  single  acts,  to  each  of  which  an  en- 
tire day  was  devoted,  and  finally  the  complete 
drama  was  gone  over. 

The  King  of  Bavaria  had  announced  his  in- 
tention of  being  present  at  the  general  rehearsal, 
which  commenced  on  August  6;  the  house  was 
absolutely  empty  with  the  exception  of  the  soli- 
tary figure  in  the  royal  box,  and  a  few  persons 
closely  associated  with  the  work,  who  had  been 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         247 

permitted  to  take  their  places  in  the  front  rows 
or  had  been  smuggled  into  the  gallery. 

The  presence  of  the  royal  patron  served  as  a 
spur  to  the  artists  and  musicians,  and  the  re- 
hearsal varied  in  no  detail  from  the  regular 
performance. 

As  was  anticipated,  however,  the  acoustics 
were  not  satisfactory,  and  Wagner  succeeded  in 
persuading  his  royal  friend  to  allow  the  house 
to  be  filled  for  the  next  performance. 

An  announcement  was  made  that  the  holders 
of  Patrons'  Certificates  could  obtain  tickets  for 
the  "  Walkiire  "  rehearsals,  but  as  these  alone 
would  not  fill  the  house  it  was  necessary  to  dis- 
tribute the  remainder  of  the  tickets  with  the 
greatest  tact  and  discretion. 

First  to  be  considered  were  the  Bayreuth  hosts, 
but  many  who  had  no  claim  for  admittance  suc- 
ceeded in  securing  tickets,  and  the  auditorium 
presented  an  entirely  different  physiognomy  from 
the  preceding  day. 

After  the  first  act  Wagner  left  the  royal  box 


248     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

and  appeared  upon  the  stage,  but  was  so  moved 
that  he  could  scarcely  find  words  in  which  to 
thank  his  artists.  He  next  visited  the  orchestral 
pit,  and  when  the  audience  heard  his  voice, 
as  he  praised  his  musicians,  a  mighty  cry  of 
"Bravo  for  the  Master!"  went  up  from  the 
auditorium. 

At  the  close  of  the  rehearsal  cycle  King  Lud- 
wig  returned  to  Munich,  but  immediately  sent  a 
telegram  from  his  castle  of  Hohenschwangan, 
thanking  Wagner  for  the  indelible  impression 
which  the  work  had  made  upon  him,  and  an- 
nouncing his  intention  of  returning  for  the  third 
regular  cycle. 

Three  days  later  the  theatre  was  filled  with  an 
eager  and  curious  international  crowd,  among 
them  many  royal  personages,  at  their  head  the 
venerable  Emperor  William  I,  and  on  August  13, 
1876,  all  that  Wagner  had  worked  and  wrought 
during  the  last  quarter  of  a  century  took  con- 
crete form  and  became  the  First  Bayreuth 
Festival! 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         249 

The  decisive  moment  had  come  when  his  ar- 
tists had  to  be  left  to  stand  or  fall  alone.  Every- 
where in  the  wings  and  the  garderobe  he  had 
posted  his  farewell  exhortation: 

"Last  request  to  my  faithful  artists! 
Distinctness! 
The  big  notes  will  take  care  of  themselves;  the 
little  notes  and  their  text  are  the  chief  thing. 
Never  say  anything  to  the  public,  but  always  to 
each  other;  in  monologues  look  either  up  or 
down,  but  never  directly  in  front  of  you.  Last 
wish :    Be  good  to  me,  you  dear  children ! ' 

For  the  orchestra,  which  he  knew  would  be 
well  taken  care  of  by  Hans  Richter,  the  admoni- 
tion was  more  concise: 

"No  preluding!  Piano,  pianissimo,  and  then 
all  will  be  well!" 

And  now  it  remained  to  be  proven  whether  or 
not  the  intellect  and  will  of  a  single  man  would 
be  able  to  lead,  not  only  his  artists,  but  the  public 
as  well,  out  of  the  old  operatic  grooves  into  the 
music  of  the  future. 


2  so  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

With  the  exception  of  a  few  technical  details, 
the  "  Rheingold  "  was  a  perfect  performance,  but 
these  trifling  mishaps  quite  spoiled  the  evening 
for  Wagner,  who  sat  in  his  room  back  of  the 
scenes  abusing  all  the  participants,  and  neither 
could  he  be  induced  to  show  himself  on  the  stage, 
nor  would  he  allow  his  artists  to  appear. 

At  the  close  of  the  "  Gotterdammerung  "  the 
entire  house  rose  with  thundering  bravos  for  the 
creator  of  this  new  art  work. 

Wagner's  reply  was  full  of  significance.  "  We 
owe  this  to  your  favour,  and  the  tireless  energy 
of  my  artists.  What  I  have  to  say  to  you  can 
be  expressed  in  an  axiom!  You  have  now  seen 
what  we  can  do;  it  remains  with  you  to  make 
it  possible.  And  if  it  is  your  work,  then  we 
shall  have  an  art." 

This  is  the  axiom  which  sounds  through  the 
centuries  from  the  lips  of  every  reformer  of  his- 
torical significance. 

'  Here  I  stand,  I  can  do  nothing  else !  " 

The   inadequacies   which   the   entire  perform- 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL        251 

ance  displayed  were  clearer  to  Wagner  than  to 
anyone  else. 

The  "  style  "  which  he  hoped  to  form  was  not 
yet  fully  estahlished;  to  whatever  degree  this 
work  overtopped  its  epoch,  it  was  still  far  from 
perfection  and  the  ideal  he  had  in  mind. 

Wagner's  consolation  was  in  the  difficult  hope 
entertained  of  being  able  to  repeat  the  Festival 
the  following  year.  "  Next  year  it  will  all  be 
different."  No  prophetic  vision  disclosed  to  him 
that  it  would  be  six  years  before  the  doors  of 
the  Festival  Theatre  would  again  be  opened  to 
present  to  the  world  the  stage-consecrating  play 
of  "  Parsifal  " ! 

At  the  close  of  the  Festival  Wagner  made  an 
address,  in  the  course  of  which  he  said: 

"  The  Festival  is  now  at  an  end,  and  I  do  not 
know  whether  or  not  it  will  occur  again !  I 
have  called  this  work  with  its  years  of  prepara- 
tion a  Festival  Play  —  with  what  right,  I  can- 
not say,  as  historic  annals  record  no  feast  day 
at  this  season  of  the  year.    It  was  designed  with 


252     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

confidence  in  the  German  spirit  and  completed  to 
the  glory  of  its  exalted  patron,  His  Majesty  the 
King  of  Bavaria,  who  has  been  not  only  its 
patron  and  promoter,  but  also  a  co-creator  of  the 
work." 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Verona,  September  18,  1876.) 
Dearest  Friend! 

Many  thanks  for  all  the  solicitude  expended 
upon  me!  I  received  everything,  letter  of  credit, 
parcel  1,  and  to-day  letters. 

Unfortunately  I  spent  yesterday  in  bed,  and 
had  so  high  a  fever  in  the  night  that  I  am  obliged 
to  recover  somewhat  to-day,  in  order  to  go  on 
to  Venice  to-morrow  (Hotel  Europa).  The 
"  Mistress  of  Risby  "  pleased  me  very  much,  and 
I  beg  for  the  continuation  of  the  story.  Of  other 
newspapers  such  only  as  you  consider  important, 
but,  on  the  other  hand,  send  the  two  Leipzig 
music  journals  as  regularly  as  possible.  The 
good  cousin  Gross  will  look  after  my  dogs  once 
in  a  while. 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         253 

Now  I  must  take  a  thorough  rest  among  the 
diversions  offered  by  a  new  environment!  I  in- 
tend soon  to  devote  myself  to  the  affairs  of  next 
summer;  at  any  moment  I  am  ready  to  attend 
to  any  necessary  matters,  in  order  to  participate 
to  the  best  of  my  strength  and  ability  in  the 
worries  left  to  you. 

Greet  your  dear  wife  cordially  from  us  both; 
our  departure  was  beautiful  and  quite  in  keeping 
with  our  first  meeting. 

In  sincere  friendship, 

Richard  Wagner. 

Fidi  *  took  the  whip  away  from  the  coachman 
to-day  because  he  always  beat  his  horses. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Sorrento,  October  7,  1876.) 
Dearest  Friend! 

Best  greetings  first  of  all  to  my  good  friends 

of  the  Executive  Council !    Next,  sincere  thanks, 

1  Fidi  was  the  pet  name  of  Siegfried  Wagner. 


254     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

and  a  humble  plea  for  pardon,  for  my  previous 
silence. 

Until  to-day  I  have  had  no  leisure,  but  now 
I  shall  set  about  fulfilling  my  obligations  one  by 
one.  For  to-day  only  information  as  to  plans. 
First  of  all,  I  consider  an  appeal  to  the  patrons 
as  indispensable. 

To  procure  a  loan  for  an  undertaking  which 
was  regarded  with  universal  suspicion  was  quite 
a  different  thing  from  securing  energetic  co- 
operation and  support  for  one  which,  to  the  as- 
tonishment of  the  whole  world,  has  been  carried 
into  effect. 

Very  naturally,  however,  this  co-operation  is 
to  be  effected  only  from  a  small  number  of  genu- 
ine enthusiasts,  who  are  at  the  same  time  men 
of  means. 

The  appeal  which  I  have  drawn  up  for  this 
purpose  I  am  sending  first  of  all  to  you,  in  order 
that  the  report  of  the  Executive  Council  may  be 
added. 

In  addition  to  this  appeal  I  intend  to  make 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         255 

application  to  some  of  the  most  distinguished 
patrons  with  the  request  that  they  head  a  sub- 
scription list,  to  be  sent  out  by  them  personally. 
For  this  I  have  Count  Magnis  particularly  in 
view,  as  he  has  already  declared  himself  will- 
ing; however,  I  shall  put  myself  in  touch  with 
Herr  v.  Radowitz  in  order,  if  possible,  to  form 
a  committee  at  once. 

I  further  intend  to  ask  the  advice  of  my 
friends  as  to  whether  or  not  I  shall  apply  to  the 
Emperor  for  reimbursement. 

Perhaps  only  a  suggestion  would  be  necessary 
to  explain  to  him  that,  in  addition  to  distribut- 
ing orders  to  the  assisting  musicians,  my  efforts 
should  meet  with  direct  personal  recognition. 

By  this  I  naturally  mean  nothing  less  than  aid 
in  meeting  the  expenses,  the  burden  of  which 
should  not  be  allowed  to  fall  upon  me.  This  done, 
the  way  would  possibly  be  opened  for  me  to  lay 
a  petition  before  Parliament  asking  for  the  fur- 
ther support  of  the  Bayreuth  Festival  Play  as 
a  national  project.     Some  time  will  be  necessary 


256     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

to  work  this  out,  but  fortunately  we  still  have 
plenty  of  time  at  our  disposal,  as  we  shall  not 
be  together  and  ready  for  business  before 
November. 

The  King  wrote  me  quite  splendidly  while  I 
was  in  Venice,  exhorting  me  to  endurance  and 
perseverance,  which  he  places  above  everything 
else.  I  hope  accordingly  to  see  everything  set- 
tled before  the  close  of  the  year,  and  hope  to 
begin  the  preparation  for  the  repetition  of  the 
Festival  by  the  beginning  of  the  new  year.  This 
latter  requires  much  self-control  on  my  part,  as 
I  shall  feel  myself  compelled  to  proceed  very 
seriously  and  strictly  in  improving  both  the  per- 
sonnel and  the  performance,  especially  if  I  find 
the  proper  sympathy  and  support.  At  present 
all  courage  and  desire  to  make  such  an  effort 
are  totally  lacking. 

For  two  days  I  have  been  in  Sorrento,  our 
temporary  goal ;  we  are  quite  delighted  with  the 
place,  only  we  shall  be  obliged  to  enter  upon  some 
agreement  with  the  hotel,  as  otherwise  our  stay 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         257 

here  will  be  so  tremendously  expensive.  Unfor- 
tunately there  was  no  one  to  help  us  in  finding 
good  accommodations,  and  we  were  obliged  to 
secure  everything  with  the  greatest  difficulty. 

So  think  of  us  then  ever  kindly,  dearest  friend ! 
Remember  us  cordially  to  your  dear  family ;   as- 
sure our  friends  of  our  faithful  devotion,  and 
believe  always  in  the  sincere  gratitude  of 
Your  deeply  devoted 

Richard  Wagner. 

The  first  Festival  closed  with  a  deficit  of 
$37,500,  and  Wagner  was  forced  to  admit  that 
persistence  in  the  plan  was  nothing  short  of  reck- 
less, as  not  more  than  half  the  number  of  Pa- 
trons' Certificates  necessary  to  cover  the  actual 
expenses  had  been  subscribed.  A  few  weeks 
after  the  Festival  he  went  with  his  family  to 
Italy,  thus  carrying  out  the  intention  to  which 
he  gave  expression  on  the  occasion  of  the  fete 
arranged  in  honour  of  his  sixty-third  birthday : 

"  When  this  nonsense  is  all  over,  I  intend  to 


258     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

stretch  myself  out  at  full  length,  presumably  in 
Italy,  and  there,  with  wife  and  child,  to  thrive 
upon  the  money  received  from  my  American 
march." 

But  he  was  not  able  to  escape  the  haunting 
thought  of  the  burden  created  by  the  deficit. 

In  November  he  sent  out  a  circular  letter  to  the 
patrons  of  the  Festival  asking  for  renewed  as- 
sistance under  the  supposition  that  they  had  made 
his  cause  their  own  and  would  now  stand  by 
him  in  his  hour  of  direct  need.  But  his  confi- 
dence was  rudely  shaken  by  the  meagreness  of 
the  response,  and  he  could  only  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  there  had  been  "  in  reality  no  pa- 
trons at  all,  but  only  spectators  occupying  ex- 
pensive seats."  Thus  the  burden  of  the  deficit 
rested  practically  upon  him,  and  Finck  says  with 
fine  irony: 

"  He  had  composed  and  presented  to  his  con- 
temporaries an  immortal  work  of  art;  now  he 
was  called  upon  to  pay  for  it,  and  was,  more- 
over, soundly  taken  to  task  by  the  press  for  not 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         259 

having  thanked  these  contemporaries  for  going 
to  hear  it." 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Sorrento,  November  3,  1876.) 
My  dearest  Friend  Heckel! 

You  are  really  the  first  person  in  Germany 
from  whom  a  sign  of  life  has  come.  Accept  my 
thanks  for  this. 

As  yet  Herr  Feustel  has  let  nothing  be  heard 
from  himself  but  the  most  terrifying  reports 
about  the  increasing  deficit,  in  covering  which  it 
is  claimed  that  I  am  the  only  one  who  can  save 
the  situation.  Good!  I  have  framed  my  appeal 
and  sent  it  out;  I  have  made  inquiries  in  Berlin 
and  also  of  the  King  of  Bavaria  without  having 
received  an  answer. 

Your  idea  of  having  a  fourth  performance  to 
cover  the  deficit  is,  under  the  wretched  condi- 
tions, certainly  the  most  feasible;  however,  the 
payment  of  certain  debts  cannot  be  postponed 
so  long. 


260     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

As  I  hear  nothing  at  present  but  distressing 
news  in  connection  with  the  closing  of  the  Fes- 
tival, and  as  I  feel  just  now  that  very  great  en- 
couragement for  the  repetition  and  continuation 
of  the  Festival  must  be  given  me,  if  I  am  to  over- 
come my  unbounded  repugnance  for  the  entire 
matter,  I  am  only  waiting  for  some  particularly 
painful  experience  to  occur  which  would  decide 
me  to  retreat  entirely,  and  I  wish  this  to  be  in- 
terpreted in  the  most  literal  sense.  I  shall  then 
remain  silent,  and  without  a  murmur  give  what- 
ever there  is  to  the  creditors  of  the  undertaking, 
just  as  would  be  the  case  with  a  legal  bankrupt. 

Really,  you  are  the  only  one  —  yes,  the  sole 
one  —  who  shows  serious  solicitude  about  me  in 
the  matter! 

Under  such  circumstances  my  health  cannot  be 
of  the  best,  my  mental  suffering  and  this  agony 
of  uncertainty  are  too  great.  On  the  other  hand, 
I  am  able  to  rejoice  over  the  good  health  of  my 
wife  and  children  in  these  beautiful  surround- 
ings. .  .  .  However,  we  shall  soon  be  obliged  to 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         261 

turn  our  faces  homeward,  as  my  private  treasury- 
was  so  exhausted  last  summer  (in  spite  of  the 
American  March)  that  it  will  not  suffice  to  keep 
us  here  much  longer. 

Therefore !    Most  cordial  greetings  from  Wag« 
ner's  to  Heckel's. 

Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

This  letter  is  in  answer  to  one  in  which  Heckel 
informs  Wagner  that  the  Executive  Council  had 
decided  against  the  publication  of  a  circular  ap- 
pealing for  assistance  in  covering  the  deficit. 
"  It  is  our  affair  to  decide  upon  ways  and  means, 
and  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  this  should  be  done 
by  personal  letters  and  visits  to  the  real  friends 
of  the  undertaking."  Heckel  had  also  conceived 
the  idea  of  giving  four  instead  of  three  perform- 
ances of  the  "  Ring  "  in  1877,  the  receipts  of  the 
extra  cycle  to  be  applied  to  covering  the  deficit. 

For  three  years,  instead  of  applying  the  re- 
ceipts of  his  concerts  to  his  private  exchequer, 


262     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Wagner  had  borne  all  the  expense  of  the  costly 
trips  and  hotel  bills.  It  was  undoubtedly  this 
pressure  on  his  private  purse  which  led  him  to 
accept  a  curious  offer  which  came  to  him  from 
America. 

This  was  an  invitation  to  write  a  festival  com- 
position, in  the  form  of  a  march,  for  the  formal 
opening  of  the  Centennial  in  Philadelphia.  The 
idea  of  intrusting  this  music  to  the  greatest  liv- 
ing composer  originated  with  Theodore  Thomas, 
who  was  at  that  time  the  conductor  of  the  New 
York  Philharmonic  Society. 

The  suggestion  met  with  ready  response,  and 
the  Woman's  Society  of  the  Centennial  Commit- 
tee pledged  themselves  to  raise  the  necessary 
funds.  Wagner  had  resolutely  rejected  previous 
overtures  of  this  sort,  and  in  acceding  to  this  one 
he  was  undoubtedly  influenced  by  two  reasons  — 
the  more  immediate  one  that  of  retrieving  his 
financial  embarrassment,  and,  as  a  more  remote 
one,  the  hope  of  interesting  Americans  in  his 
great  Bayreuth  enterprise. 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         263 

Of  this  he  leaves  no  doubt,  as  he  distinctly 
writes:  "  If  I  send  it  to  you,  I  shall  then  expect 
the  Americans  to  treat  me  well,  particularly  in 
regard  to  advancing  the  interests  of  my  Festival." 

Upon  receiving  a  second  invitation  through 
Theodore  Thomas,  Wagner  declared  himself  will- 
ing to  write  a  composition  for  large  orchestras 
of  the  character  of  the  Kaiser  March,  and  to 
send  it  to  any  German  banking-house  which  might 
be  chosen,  in  return  for  which  he  was  to  receive 
the  sum  of  five  thousand  dollars. 

The  result  was  the  splendid  Centennial  March, 
which  Americans  of  the  older  generation  heard 
and  wondered  at  without  realising  the  true  great- 
ness of  the  genius  who  had  written  it,  and  what 
his  reformatory  ideas  were  to  signify  to  the  art 
world. 

The  motto  he  chose  was  the  Goethe  line :  "  Nur 
der  verdient  sich  Freiheit  wie  das  Leben,  der 
taglich  sie  erobern  muss."  ("  He  only  merits 
freedom  as  well  as  life  who  must  daily  conquer 
them.") 


264  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

This  word  "  erobern  "  (to  conquer)  led  to  a 
comical  misunderstanding;  the  delegates  sent  to 
receive  the  composition  could  speak  but  little 
German,  and  Wagner  less  English.  One  of  them 
translated  the  word  to  mean  "  to  rob,"  and  Wag- 
ner often  laughed  heartily  at  this  unexpected 
version  of  the  Goethe  lines. 

A  curious  point  in  connection  with  this  com- 
position was  that,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life, 
the  imperative  need  of  executing  a  work  was 
there  before  the  poetic  idea  had  taken  form. 
This  lack  of  inspiration  was  due  to  the  fact  that 
his  musical  spirit  was  soaring  in  the  more  rare- 
fied region  of  the  "  Parsifal  "  music  instead  of 
being  devoted  to  his  American  patrons.  Anton 
Seidl  relates  that  Wagner  was  genuinely  de- 
pressed for  a  time  by  his  vain  search  for  a  theme 
on  which  to  build  his  march,  until  one  day,  as 
he  stepped  out  of  a  dark  passage  into  the  bright 
sunlight,  the  Goethe  motto,  as  well  as  the  opening 
theme  in  triplets,  suddenly  came  to  him. 

The  soft  lyric  passages  of  the  work,  by  his 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         265 

own  confession,  were  written  with  the  "  beauti- 
ful and  clever  women  of  North  America  in  mind." 
When  a  telegram  came  from  America  report- 
ing the  success  of  the  work,  he  said  whimsically : 
1  Do  you  know  what  the  best  thing  about  that 
march  is?    The  money  that  I  got  for  it!  " 

To  Friedricii  Feustel 

(Rome,  November  23,  1876.) 
Esteemed  Friend! 

Since  my  departure  from  Bayreuth,  no  further 
information  has  reached  me  than  your  announce- 
ment that  the  deficit  proves  to  be  more  and  more 
significant,  and  that  I  am  expected  to  suggest 
ways  and  means  of  meeting  it.  To  me  the  most 
imperative  thing  seemed  to  be  an  appeal  to  the 
previous  supporters  of  my  undertaking.  I  drew 
up  such  an  appeal  and  sent  it  to  you  (about  the 
8th  or  10th  of  October)  with  the  request  that 
your  report  to  the  patrons  be  added  to  it.  At 
the  same  time  I  wrote  at  length  to  the  King  of 
Bavaria  and  enclosed  the  chief  features  of  a  plan 


266     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

for  a  constitution,  by  the  terms  of  which  the 
theatre  with  all  its  accessories  should  accrue  to 
the  state  in  exchange  of  the  assumption  of  all 
the  debts  resting  upon  it,  and  the  further  ad- 
ministration of  which  should  be  transferred  to 
the  city  magistrate  of  Bayreuth.  Up  to  the  pres- 
ent time  no  answer  has  reached  me,  and  I  can 
only  assume  that  the  King  is  not  lacking  in  cor- 
dial good-will,  but  that  he  is  embarrassed  in  find- 
ing just  the  right  way  of  meeting  my  wishes. 

While  I  was  waiting  for  an  answer  from  that 
side,  my  friend  Heckel  announced  to  me  his  great 
regret  that  I  myself  should  be  called  upon  to 
make  the  appeal  for  a  contribution  to  cover  the 
deficit,  whereas,  to  his  mind,  this  should  be  the 
affair  of  my  friends ;  this  opinion  he  had  already 
expressed  to  our  friends  of  the  Executive  Coun- 
cil. I  answered  that  he  seemed  to  be  moved 
by  a  very  proper  feeling,  and  that  it  would  in- 
deed be  gratifying  to  me  if  the  matter  could  be 
taken  in  hand  by  friends  of  my  cause.  In  re- 
gard to  his  suggestion  that  four   (extra)   per- 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         267 

formances  at  increased  prices  should  be  given  to 
cover  the  deficit,  I  expressed  the  fear  that  the 
imperative  payment  of  our  debts  could  not  be 
postponed  for  so  long  a  period. 

I  am  convinced  that  there  are  people  who  can 
and  will  gladly  get  together  the  necessary  funds 
for  us;  however,  I  do  not  know  anyone  of  the 
proper  ability  who  could  be  asked  to  place  him- 
self at  the  head  and  front  of  such  a  movement. 

Perhaps  this  could  be  accomplished  by  the 
committees  of  the  older  Wagner  Societies,  for 
whom  it  would  surely  be  easier  to  raise  their 
voices  now  than  at  a  time  when  the  undertaking 
was  received  with  suspicion  on  all  sides. 

In  any  case,  I  regret  that  no  use  was  made  of 
the  appeal  I  sent  to  you;  at  least  one  good  re- 
sult would  have  come  from  its  distribution  in 
letting  us  know  where  we  stood  in  the  matter. 

It  seems  to  me  that  through  no  fault  of  mine 
there  has  been  much  unnecessary  delay;  on  the 
other  hand,  I  declare  myself  still  ready  to  sup- 
port  any   measure   which    is    suggested   to   me. 


268     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Under  all  these  circumstances  it  seems  now  to 
have  grown  too  late  to  prepare  for  a  repetition 
of  the  Festival  next  summer  with  any  degree 
of  assurance  —  in  fact,  even  to  entertain  such 
an  idea.  In  order  to  reach  the  goal  once,  and 
to  show  the  world  what  it  was  all  about,  I  could 
enter  into  these  financial  embarrassments  and 
deceptions;  but  to  remain  continually  in  such  a 
condition  by  exposing  myself  repeatedly  to  the 
chance  of  being  abandoned  to  fresh  anxieties 
(for  example,  through  the  calumny  of  the  news- 
papers), of  which  I  should  never  have  even 
learned,  as  no  financial  profit  was  ever  connected 
with  my  undertaking  —  all  this  I  must  absolutely 
refuse  to  do  in  the  future. 

The  great  defects  in  the  performance  of  my 
work  can  only  be  explained  by  the  financial  un- 
certainty and  the  consequent  doubts  which  arose 
as  to  the  timely  accomplishment  of  the  under- 
taking on  the  part  of  those  commissioned  with 
its  execution.  We  shall  be  obliged  to  have  at 
our  immediate  disposal  the  means  for  remedying 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         269 

these  defects.  Moreover,  I  should  not  have  the 
courage  to  approach  certain  artists  of  my  per- 
sonnel, whom  I  secured  only  with  the  greatest 
difficulty,  and  invite  them  to  renewed  co-opera- 
tion without  being  able  to  assure  them  of  an  ade- 
quate honorarium;  this,  however,  could  not  be 
done  unless  the  deficit  of  this  year's  perform- 
ances had  been  previously  completely  covered. 
And  to  give  a  fourth  (extra  performance)  for 
this  purpose  would  naturally  fill  the  minds  of 
any  singers  and  musicians  with  consternation  as 
soon  as  they  heard  of  it,  for  it  would  be  tempt- 
ing Providence  to  rely  solely  upon  a  repetition 
of  the  auspicious  circumstances  which  made  it 
possible  for  us  to  give  the  three  performances 
successively  within  so  short  a  time. 

I  am  therefore  obliged  to  wait  and  see  if  by 
any  impulse  whatever  the  money  for  covering 
the  deficit  can  be  collected  in  time.  Has  this  not 
been  done  by  January  1st,  then  a  repetition  of 
the  Festival  next  year  must  be  abandoned,  and 
then  we  can  only  wait  and  see  if  any  interest 


270     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

is  taken  in  the  matter  in  certain  quarters  and 
help  is  extended  to  us.  I  refrain  from  any  ref- 
erence to  my  own  person  on  this  occasion,  nor 
shall  I  call  your  attention  in  detail  to  the  state 
of  my  health.  I  only  assure  you  that  even  here 
in  Italy,  under  the  influence  of  totally  new  im- 
pressions, I  drag  along  with  my  entire  nervous 
system  apparently  shattered;  nor  is  this  to  be 
wondered  at  when  one  considers  that  I  have  been 
prevented  from  taking  my  customary  water-cure, 
in  spite  of  all  things  that  have  happened  and 
continue  to  happen.  Moreover,  I  cannot  regard 
the  absolute  necessity  of  the  repetition  of  the 
Festival  next  year  as  obligatory  for  me,  unless 
this  can  take  place  under  such  circumstances  as 
to  make  a  pleasant  duty  of  the  self-sacrifices  it 
would  incur  —  that  is,  if  the  friends  of  my  art 
do  not  convince  me  that  they  care  something 
about  me  and  my  undertaking.  I  can  and  will 
not  sacrifice  my  strength  any  more  to  a  mere 
enterprise,  for  better  for  worse. 

As  not  the  slightest  blame  in  this  deplorable 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         271 

situation  is  to  be  laid  at  the  door  of  my  esteemed 
friends  in  Bayreuth  —  we  having  mutually  ac- 
complished something  that  was  able  to  arouse 
astonishment  and  enthusiasm  —  it  is  all  the  more 
painful  to  be  obliged  to  prepare  you,  in  an  ex- 
treme case,  for  the  most  depressing  news. 

I  must  look  squarely  in  the  face  the  possibility 
that  we  shall  never  be  able  to  have  another  Fes- 
tival performance,  and  this  state  of  things  would 
occur  if  the  deficit  could  not  be  covered  at  the 
given  time,  and  at  the  same  time  the  payments 
could  no  longer  be  postponed.  In  this  case  noth- 
ing would  remain  but  to  declare  the  undertaking 
in  a  state  of  bankruptcy,  and  all  existing  prop- 
erty, after  a  report  to  this  effect  to  the  patrons, 
would  be  turned  over  to  our  creditors. 

Whatever  belongs  to  the  King  of  Bavaria 
would  be  made  over  to  him,  and  whatever  else 
of  value  remained  be  sold  to  the  highest  bidder, 
and  the  money  applied  to  discharging  the  re- 
maining debts.  For  my  part,  I  see  no  other 
course  to  take,  as  I  am  forced  to  doubt  exceed- 


272     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

ingly  any  further  success  as  the  result  of  my 
personal  efforts,  and  no  one  who  is  acquainted 
with  the  strain  I  have  been  under  would  expect 
me  to  give  concerts  and  the  like  at  present. 

Above  all,  most  esteemed  friend,  do  not  inter- 
pret this  communication  as  the  outburst  of  a 
despondent  man  who  is  trying  to  disquiet  you 
in  a  most  terrible  manner;  on  the  contrary,  I 
have  had  ample  opportunity  of  considering  my 
real  attitude  toward  my  contemporaries  during 
the  past  ten  months  and  have  accordingly  reached 
this  conclusion.  I  have  shown  what  I  can  do, 
and  feel  myself  justified,  as  well  as  impelled,  to 
close  my  artistic  career,  and  regard  as  my  sole 
duty  henceforth  the  welfare  of  my  friends  and 
my  family,  which  has  hitherto  been  sacrificed  (to 
the  success  of  the  undertaking). 

With  the  most  cordial  greetings  to  the  friends 
and  family,  I  remain 

Your  always  grateful  and  devoted 

Richard  Wagner. 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         273 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Rome,  November  29,  1876.) 
Much  esteemed  Friend! 

I  regret  that  you  did  not  acquaint  me  with  the 
delay  in  the  distribution  of  my  circular  to  the 
patrons,  in  which  case  I  could  then  have  in- 
formed you  how  the  appeal  it  contained  could 
have  even  most  effectively  disseminated,  without 
being  accompanied  by  the  report  of  the  Execu- 
tive Committee. 

I  beg  of  you  to  retrieve  this  delay  as  quickly 
as  possible  by  sending  out  the  appeal  in  the  form 
of  a  letter  to  my  patrons. 

As  I  look  at  the  matter,  this  step  is  the  only 
one  which  it  remains  for  me  to  take  in  order 
to  proclaim  the  true  state  of  affairs;  in  my  ear- 
lier letter,  of  which  only  the  last  clause  seems 
to  have  made  any  impression  upon  you,  I  in- 
formed you  that  all  my  previous  efforts  had  re- 
mained without  any  results. 

In  this  letter  I  also  assured  you  of  my  will- 


274     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

ingness  to  take  any  step  suggested  by  you  or 
other  friends  in  securing  the  necessary  assis- 
tance; to  proceed,  however,  to  announce  a  repe- 
tition of  the  Festival  after  such  serious  delay 
was  a  step  which  I  did  not  feel  myself  justified 
in  taking. 

In  considering  the  latter  hypothesis  I  did  not 
overlook  the  fact  that,  if  no  help  came  from 
the  outside  towards  covering  the  deficit,  the 
remaining  debts  would  become  so  urgent  that 
the  settlement  of  them  would  have  to  be  con- 
sidered from  the  ordinary  standpoint  of  civic 
law. 

I  had  nothing  more  or  less  in  mind  concern- 
ing the  prospective  bankruptcy  process  than  the 
payment  of  these  debts  by  the  sale  of  the 
property. 

In  doing  this,  it  did  not  occur  to  me  to  keep 
the  carpenters  and  paperers  of  Bayreuth  out  of 
their  money,  and  if  I  used  the  word  "  bankrupt  " 
in  this  connection,  it  was  only  to  characterise 
unreservedly  my  position,  as  I   do  not  hesitate 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         275 

to  declare  myself  and  my  artistic  undertaking 
as  completely  bankrupt. 

On  the  contrary,  I  should  like  to  see  my  resi- 
dence in  Bayreuth,  as  well  as  my  private  income, 
—  in  regard  to  which  you  are  able  to  give  the 
most  accurate  information,  —  appropriated  to  the 
liquidation  of  the  debts,  and  I  beg  of  you  not  to 
entertain  the  slightest  doubt  on  this  point. 

I  thought  I  had  intimated  this  to  you  when 
I  announced  my  intention,  under  extreme  cir- 
cumstances, of  relinquishing  my  artistic  career 
and  devoting  myself  only  to  the  interests  of  my 
family,  who  must  be  regarded  as  heavy  sufferers. 

With  the  most  respectful  greetings, 

Your  ever  grateful 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Florence,  December  4,  1876.) 
Dear  Friend! 

I  thank  you  very  much  for  the  recent  favour- 
able news.     The  circular,  of  which    (also  with 


276     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

thanks)  I  am  sending  you  at  once  a  revised  copy, 
I  beg  of  you  in  any  case  to  have  sent  out  as 
quickly  as  possible  to  my  patrons.  I  must  have 
this  as  a  basis  for  further  proceedings.  I  in- 
tend to  stop  in  Munich  for  further  conference, 
and  declare  to  you  further  that  I  have  left  noth- 
ing undone  to  make  possible  the  barely  imagin- 
able case  of  a  repetition  of  the  performances  next 
summer. 

Only  here  in  Florence  have  I  been  able  to 
arrange  for  the  end  of  my  visit  in  Italy,  as  I 
could  not  refuse  the  worthy  Bolognese  to  be 
present  at  the  last  performance  of  "  Rienzi." 
Everything  pleased  me  very  much,  even  though 
it  was  a  very  great  strain.  .  .  . 

In  any  case  we  expect  to  celebrate  the  Christ- 
mas Festival  at  home. 

I  beg  of  you  to  convey  my  most  cordial  greet- 
ings to  your  valued  family  and  our  friends. 

Ever  gratefully  mindful  of  your  friendship, 
Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         277 

Heckel  was  obliged  to  agree  with  Feustel  that 
it  was  an  unfavourable  moment  to  launch  a  fresh 
appeal  to  the  patrons,  and  felt  it  to  be  his  duty 
to  inform  Wagner  of  this.  The  latter  was  very 
much  agitated  and  wrote  the  following  letter  to 
Heckel : 

(Florence,  December  9,  1876). 
Dear  Friend! 

I  am  very  sorry  that  you  also  have  the  heart 
to  give  me  and  my  concerns  no  further  consid- 
eration, and  only  speak  to  me  of  the  matter  in 
the  same  strain  as  do  my  other  friends.  No  per- 
son is  able  to  devise  ways  and  means;  even  my 
appeal  to  the  patrons  should  be  sent  only  "  with 
caution,"  because  the  times  are  so  bad,  and  yet, 
notwithstanding  this,  the  performances  should 
be  announced  as  quickly  as  possible!  It  is  in- 
credible! You  inquire,  in  fact,  about  the  Fes- 
tival medallion,  which  I  naturally  countermanded 
at  once,  when  the  ever-increasing  deficit  was  an- 
nounced.    What  does  one  not  expect  of  me! 

For  my  part,  I  announce  to  you  quite  positively 


278     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

that  I  shall  devote  the  coming  summer  entirely 
to  regaining  my  health  —  for  which,  on  account 
of  my  increasing  abdominal  trouble,  I  expect  to 
take  a  protracted  water-cure  in  November. 

If  I  find  myself  restored  to  health,  we  shall 
then  see  what  can  be  arranged  for  the  year  after 
next.  If  in  the  meantime  the  deficit  is  not  cov- 
ered, and  this  without  further  effort  on  my  part, 
I  intend  to  hand  the  theatre  over  to  some  enter- 
prising person,  possibly  even  to  the  Munich 
Royal  Theatre,  but  not  to  give  myself  any  fur- 
ther concern  about  it.  Here,  dear  friend,  my 
strength  is  exhausted.  My  undertaking  up  to 
this  point  has  been  a  question  to  the  German 
public  —  "  Will  you?  "  I  now  assume  that  they 
will  not,  and  accordingly  am  at  the  end  of  my 
resources.  I  beg  you  to  consider  the  matter  from 
now  on  solely  in  this  light,  and,  if  you  think  it 
wise,  also  to  explain  summarily  to  my  other 
friends  about  me,  as  they  seem  unable  to 
understand. 

In  one  of  my  constant  sleepless  nights  I  am 


FIRST  BAYREUTH  FESTIVAL         279 

seeking  to  create  for  myself  some  degree  of  com- 
fort by  unburdening  my  heart  frankly  and  freely 
to  the  true  and  sympathetic  friend,  as  which  I 
have  ever  recognised  you. 

Remain  kindly  disposed  to  me! 
Yours  ever  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 


WAYS    AND   MEANS 
1877-1879 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  February  11,  1877.) 
Oh!  dearest,  dearest  Friend! 

Yes,  yes!  The  King  of  Bavaria!  As  if  that 
could  make  up  to  me  for  the  time  that  has  been 
lost! 

Do  you  not  believe  that  if  anyone  could  do 
it,  I  am  that  one,  and  do  you  think  that  I  have 
not  done  my  utmost? 

Please  let  us  be  silent  on  this  point! 

You  must  have  realised,  dear  friend,  that  what 
I  have  now  set  in  motion  has  only  been  done 
in  order  to  preserve  the  honour  of  my  undertak- 
ing and  my  attitude  toward  the  same. 

On  the  other  hand,  do  you  really  believe  that 
I  ever  had  any  hope  that  anything  would  be 
accomplished? 


WAYS  AND   MEANS  281 

Learn  to  know  Germany  and  the  German  pub- 
lic !    That  is  all  —  all  lost !     Believe  me ! 

What  we  accomplished  last  year  was  a  miracle, 
and  will  remain  so,  as  long  as  anyone  knows 
about  it.  But  beyond  that  it  will  never,  never 
go:    this  we  must  realise  once  for  all. 

The  performances  for  this  year  are  already 
impossible,  both  from  material  and  artistic  rea- 
sons; even  if  the  money  could  be  obtained,  it 
would  not  suffice;  the  artistic  dangers  are  great. 
A  resumption  could  only  be  thought  of  if  my 
programme  in  regard  to  a  Patrons'  Society  (but 
not  alone  on  the  basis  of  the  former  allotment 
plan)  could  be  strictly  carried  out.  The  new  one 
must  have  quite  a  different  aspect  from  the  old; 
there  must  be  power  and  knowledge  behind  it. 

In  the  meantime  I  have  to  look  after  the  de- 
ficit, and  intend  therefore  to  give  concerts  in 
England  several  months,  solely  for  this  purpose. 
If  I  return  alive,  I  hope  nothing  further  will  be 
required  of  me  than  to  think  of  myself  —  to 
recover  and  —  forget ! 


282  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Well,  we  are  so  far! 

Now,  dear  friend,  get  His  Majesty  the  King 
of  Bavaria  out  of  your  head,  and  continue  to  be 
kindly  disposed  to  your 

Ever  faithful 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  April  n,  1877.) 
My  dear  Heckel! 

God  grant  you  long  life,  at  least  decidedly 
longer  than  mine,  in  order  that  someone  will  be 
there  after  my  death  who  in  himself  shall  fur- 
nish a  root  for  further  cultivation. 

I  understand  everything,  but  say  little  —  if 
possible,  no  more  —  about  it.  I  can  do  nothing 
but  wait  until  someone  from  the  outside  follows 
after,  as  I  seem  to  be  considerably  in  advance! 

Cordial  greetings! 

Yours, 

Richard  Wagner. 


WAYS  AND   MEANS  283 

In  January  the  King's  Councillor  arrived  in 
Bayreuth  to  discuss  the  matter  of  the  deficit 
with  Wagner  and  the  gentlemen  of  the  Execu- 
tive Council. 

Should  the  King  or  the  German  Parliament 
decide  to  assume  the  debt,  then  Wagner  declared 
his  readiness  to  resume  the  Festival  performances 
in  1878.  His  second  suggestion  was  that  the 
King  should  take  over  the  Bayreuth  Theatre 
as  a  sort  of  adjunct  to  the  Munich  opera  until 
the  loan  was  discharged. 

The  King's  messenger  seemed,  however,  not 
authorised  to  accept  either  of  these  suggestions, 
and  the  conference,  from  which  so  much  was 
hoped,  left  the  situation  unchanged. 

It  was  while  under  the  shadow  of  this  dis- 
appointment that  Wagner  surprised  his  wife  one 
day  with  the  announcement :  "  I  shall  begin  my 
'Parsifal'  and  not  stop  until   it  is  finished!" 

Everything  that  had  been  left  sealed  up  in  his 
innermost  soul  now  began  to  germinate  and  re- 
veal itself.     From  day  to  day  the  earlier  sketch 


284     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

of  1865  assumed  a  firmer  and  more  tangible 
shape. 

Since  finishing  the  "  Meistersinger  "  text,  fif- 
teen years  before,  Wagner  the  poet  had  been 
obliged  to  recede  before  Wagner  the  man  of 
affairs,  but  that  mathematical  worries  had  not 
destroyed  his  metrical  facility  was  proven  by  the 
rapidity  with  which  the  "  Parsifal  "  legend  as- 
sumed the  proportions  of  a  music  drama. 

During  his  visit  to  London  in  the  spring  of  the 
same  year  he  was  able  to  read  the  complete  ver- 
sified text  to  a  select  company,  including,  among 
other  distinguished  personalities  from  the  Eng- 
lish world  of  art  and  letters,  George  Eliot  and 
her  husband,  George  Henry  Lewes. 

From  London  the  text  went  back  to  his  royal 
benefactor  in  Munich,  whose  name  had  already 
been  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  "  Parsi- 
fal "  drama  in  a  letter  written  almost  two  decades 
earlier.  '  He  is  so  strikingly  handsome  that  he 
might  pose  as  the  King  of  the  Jews;  and  in 
strict  confidence  —  I  am  thinking  a  great  deal 


WAYS  AND   MEANS  285 

about  the  Christian  tragedy;  possibly  something 
may  come  of  it." 

In  the  meantime,  however,  the  creator  of 
"  Parsifal '  was  being  confronted  by  the  stub- 
born statistics  of  the  Festival  deficit,  and  in  order 
to  meet  the  most  urgent  part  of  the  indebted- 
ness he  had  been  obliged  to  borrow  the  sum  of 
eight  thousand  dollars  at  five  per  cent  interest. 

Not  without  extreme  reluctance  did  he  yield  to 
the  suggestion  of  August  Wilhelmj  that  he  should 
come  to  London  for  a  series  of  Wagnerian  con- 
certs, but  necessity  and  a  desire  to  prove  to  his 
friends  that  he  had  no  wish  to  shirk  any  re- 
sponsibility which  might  give  an  impetus  to  the 
situation  finally  prevailed  over  his  personal  feel- 
ing in  the  matter. 

Six  concerts  were  arranged  to  take  place  at  the 
Albert  Hall,  Wagner  conducting  the  first  half 
of  each  programme,  and  Hans  Richter  the  sec- 
ond, with  the  co-operation  of  a  number  of  the 
Bayreuth  singers.  It  soon  became  clear  that 
these  concerts  would  not,  as  had  been  expected, 


286     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

wipe  out  the  Bayreuth  deficit;  for  while  the 
audiences  were  eager,  the  expenses  were  so  enor- 
mous as  to  cause  disaster  to  the  box-office  receipts. 

At  first  the  actual  financial  condition  was  kept 
from  Wagner,  but  as  soon  as  he  learned  how 
matters  were  going  he  voluntarily  offered  to  re- 
nounce the  large  sum  promised  him  for  his  per- 
sonal services,  and  moreover  paid  the  singers, 
whom  he  had  brought  with  him  from  Germany, 
out  of  his  own  pocket. 

This  sacrifice  his  business  agents,  Messrs. 
Hodge  and  Essex,  refused  to  accept,  although 
they  were  themselves  on  the  brink  of  bankruptcy, 
and  the  sum  of  seven  hundred  pounds  was  event- 
ually remitted  to  Bayreuth. 

When  the  disastrous  results  of  the  Albert  Hall 
Festival  became  known,  a  number  of  wealthy  and 
public-spirited  men  determined  to  wipe  off  the 
stain  on  the  English  artistic  character  by  open- 
ing a  subscription  list  which  resulted  in  the  sum 
of  five  hundred  and  sixty  pounds. 

But  Wagner's  pride  prevented  him  from  ac- 


WAYS  AND   MEANS  287 

cepting  from  the  hands  of  strangers  that  which 
would  have  been  a  largesse  from  his  own  coun- 
trymen, and  he  accordingly  returned  the  sum  to 
the  subscribers. 

Apart  from  George  Eliot  and  her  husband, 
Wagner  also  made  the  acquaintance  of  Robert 
Browning  and  Burne-Jones  and  saw  Joseph 
Jefferson  in  his  famous  characterisation  of  Rip 
Van  Winkle. 

Henry  T.  Finck  includes  in  his  Wagner  biog- 
raphy Mr.  Hubert  Herkomer's  amusing  account 
of  how  he  painted  his  famous  portrait  for  the 
German  Athenaeum  Club: 

"  The  whole  business  of  the  portrait  was  dis- 
agreeable to  him,  but  I  was  at  least  allowed  free 
admission  to  his  abode  (12  Orme  Street),  so  this 
1  seeing  '  instead  of  c  sitting '  went  on  for  nearly 
a  month;  my  patience  was  sorely  tried,  and  my 
independence  got  chafed. 

"  But  I  was  wrought  up  to  a  curious  pitch  of 
excitement  during  this  training,  for  I  was  af- 
fected by  the  personal  power  of  the  man  over 


288     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

those  around  him,  by  the  magic  of  his  music, 
and  by  the  face  of  this  poet-musician,  which, 
when  stirred  by  emotion,  was  a  grand  reflection 
of  his  work. 

"  Now  I  doubt  whether  any  man  since  Napo- 
leon has  ever  been  known  to  exercise  such  powers 
of  fascination  over  his  admirers  as  Richard  Wag- 
ner does  daily,  and  will  do  to  the  termination 
of  his  life.  You  lose  your  identity  when  in  his 
presence,  and  are  inclined  to  forget  that  there 
is  something  else  in  the  world  besides  Wagner 
and  his  music.  You  are  under  the  influence  that 
sets  every  nerve  at  its  highest  key.  He  has  been 
able  to  make  people  frantic  with  enthusiasm.  .  .  . 

"  Wagner  was  in  my  mind  day  and  night  — 
a  constant  vision  which  barred  out  every  other 
thought,  willing  or  unwilling  —  and  it  was  in 
a  moment  of  anger  arising  from  this  constant 
putting  off  of  the  sittings  that  I  determined  to 
try  what  my  memory  could  furnish,  and  with 
his  face  only  inwardly  visible  to  me,  I  set  to 
work.     I  worked  all  day,  and  it  grew  I  knew 


WAYS  AND  MEANS  289 

not  how.  The  next  day  I  worked  still  harder 
and  more  excitedly  and  finished  the  portrait.  On 
the  third  day  I  took  it  to  Wagner. 

"  Up  to  that  time  he  had  but  suffered  me  to 
be  near  him,  paying  little  more  attention  to  me 
than  to  an  animal,  but  from  the  moment  that 
he  saw  his  portrait  his  demeanour  changed,  and 
never  did  a  man  show  admiration  more  truly 
and  heartily  than  did  Richard  Wagner  on  this 
occasion,  and  ever  since  to  me. 

"  How  I  had  done  it  puzzled  him.  You  use 
*  witchcraft,'  he  said  to  me. 

"  So  then  he  was  ready  to  sit  for  me,  and  I 
was  intensely  eager,  not  to  say  nervous,  to  com- 
pare my  impressional  portrait  with  the  original 
subject." 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(London,  May  13,  1877. 
12  Orme  Square, 
Bayswater, 
W.  London.) 

Dearest  Friend! 

In  addition  to  the  communication  made  to 
friend  Adolph,   I  have  nothing  further  to  say 


2QO     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

in  regard  to  the  conditions  here.  If,  in  spite  of 
my  accurate  knowledge  of  these  conditions  which 
has  always  kept  me  from  visiting  London,  I  could 
have  entertained  the  thought  that  perhaps,  this 
once,  such  an  effort  might  be  successful  (un- 
heard of!),  it  was,  on  the  whole,  not  so  much 
this  idea  and  the  hope  based  upon  it  which  in- 
duced me  to  come  to  London,  as  the  resolve  to 
prove  to  you  and  the  friends  in  favour  of  this 
plan,  that  it  was  neither  laziness  nor  love  of  ease 
on  my  part  which  led  me  to  hope  that  the  deficit 
might  be  met  in  some  other  way. 

It  is  now  time  to  take  another  course,  and 
therefore  I  beg  of  you  in  the  most  friendly  spirit 
to  send  out  at  once  an  appeal  from  the  Executive 
Council  of  the  Stage  Festival  Play  enterprise  for 
a  subscription  to  cover  the  deficit;  in  this  you 
will  kindly  recapitulate  the  state  of  affairs,  and 
also  mention  my  zeal  in  endeavouring  to  spare 
the  patrons  this  burden  by  the  most  importunate 
efforts.  At  the  same  time  I  shall  ask  you  to  open 
the  list   with   a   subscription  of  three   thousand 


WAYS  AND   MEANS  291 

marks  from  me,  to  which  you  may  also  feel  inclined 
to  add  a  subscription  as  a  generous  private  citizen. 

I  should  not  care  to  have  the  circulars  put  into 
the  hands  of  the  Wagner  Societies  as  such,  on 
account  of  their  great  impotence,  but  recom- 
mended to  a  few  private  persons.  ...  As  soon 
as  the  lists  are  full,  and  strong  enough  to  meet 
our  needs,  the  complete  list  had  better  be  sent 
at  once  to  each  subscriber  with  a  request  for 
payment.  Should  this  course  also  fail,  then  I 
have  resolved  to  close  with  Ullmann  for  America, 
to  offer  my  Bayreuth  property  for  sale,  and  go 
across  the  ocean  with  my  entire  family,  never 
to  return  to  Germany. 

As  far  as  the  local  business  here  is  concerned, 
we  fear  that  we  shall  not  even  make  our  ex- 
penses. I  should  be  glad  if  the  money  I  ad- 
vanced to  the  singers  through  you  could  be 
returned  to  me.  In  any  case  you  would  greatly 
oblige  me  by  placing  a  sum  to  my  credit  here 
in  order  that  I  might  be  able  to  move  comfort- 
ably to  Ems  the  beginning  of  June. 


292     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

As  to  whether  or  not  my  health  is  restored 
will  depend  largely  upon  the  character  of  the  news 
I  receive  as  to  the  start  and  progress  of  the  sub- 
scription list. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  something  comforting 
will  happen  from  this  side! 

Bear  with  me  and  forgive  the  many  anxieties 
I  have  caused  you.  Remember  us  cordially  to 
our  friends,  your  dear  family,  and  especially  my 
good  Adolph. 

Your  ever  grateful 

Richard  Wagner. 
To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(London,  May  27,  1877. 
Sunday,  early.) 

Dearest  Friend! 

It  seems  now  as  if  I  am  destined  to  hear  of 
calamity  on  top  of  calamity.  I  read  in  your  — 
otherwise  so  highly  welcome  —  communication 
to  Dannreuther  that  the  amount  of  the  deficit 
is  estimated  at  one  hundred  and  sixty  thousand 
marks;    in  our  conversation  concerning  the  pos- 


WAYS  AND   MEANS  293 

sible  London  receipts,  you  specified  the  sum  neces- 
sary for  covering  the  deficit  at  five  thousand 
pounds;  I  have  never  known  of  anything  more 
than  "  something '  over  one  hundred  thousand 
marks. 

If  the  deficit  in  the  meantime  is  really  swollen 
by  fifty  or  sixty  thousand  marks,  then  I  must 
confess  that  with  this  continued  obscurity  as  to 
my  obligations  my  last  particle  of  courage  for- 
sakes me,  and  I  prefer  to  give  myself  up  to 
desperation. 

I  deduce  some  little  hope  for  the  success  of 
the  last  projected  subscription  from  the  fact  that 
I  see  more  and  more  clearly  that  my  deep  dis- 
couragement as  to  the  complete  failure  of  my 
appeal  to  the  patrons  of  last  year  was  without 
cause. 

I  showed  Dannreuther  a  copy  of  that  appeal 
which  you  sent  me  lately  as  an  intimation  of  the 
failure  of  the  more  recent  effort,  and  learned  to 
my  astonishment  that  he  knew  nothing  whatever 
of  that  appeal ;  as  we  have  heard  the  same  from 


294  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

various  sources,  we  can  only  attribute  this  enig- 
matic circumstance  to  some  singular  mishap  in 
sending  it  out. 

If  a  similar  ill  fate  does  not  control  this  re- 
newed effort,  may  it  bring  us  better  and  more 
encouraging  information  as  to  the  true  attitude 
of  our  friends! 

Forgive  the  cursoriness  of  these  lines !    Heart- 
ily thanking  you  for  all  the  care  and  solicitude 
which  your  active  friendship  impels  you  to  as- 
sume for  me,  I  greet  you  most  cordially  as 
Your  ever  devoted 

Richard  Wagner. 

To-morrow  and  the  day  following,  concerts! 
To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(London,  May  30,  1877. 
12  Orme  Square, 
Bayswater, 
W.  London.) 

Most  valued  Friend! 

I  suffer  greatly  by  your  conduct.  The  caution 
you  employ  leads  me  to  infer  that  you  consider 


WAYS  AND   MEANS  295 

our  representation  of  my  position  in  London  as 
exaggerated,  and  that  you  imagine  we  should  be 
able  to  help  ourselves,  while  the  chief  thing  for 
you  is  to  make  payments  in  Bayreuth. 

If  no  further  help  comes,  then  I  am  resolved 
to  surrender  everything  to  which  I  have  the  least 
shadow  of  a  title.  I  desire  that  no  attempt  shall 
be  made  to  dissuade  me  from  doing  this.  I  need 
the  London  money  for  London,  in  order  that  I 
may  not  appear  as  a  bankrupt.  Everything 
I  have  experienced  here  is  confirmed  with 
my  former  knowledge  of  London;  and  yet, 
in  spite  of  this,  I  sacrificed  my  better  views 
to  you  in  order  not  to  appear  indolent  and 
unwilling. 

I  leave  quite  out  of  the  question  how  much 
older  I  have  grown  under  these  renewed  expe- 
riences, and  how  much  vitality  I  have  squan- 
dered in  vain.  This  and  that  will  still  be  tried 
here,  and  a  local  subscription  will  probably  bring 
in  something;  but  for  the  present  I  beg  you  to 
take  my  explanations  and  wishes  quite  seriously 


296     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

and  not  bring  me  to  a  point  of  desperation  by 
opposing  them. 

Forgive  these  lines!  But  I  cannot  do  other- 
wise ! 

With  the  most  respectful  greetings, 

Your  ever  grateful 

Richard  Wagner. 

This  letter  was  followed  by  a  telegram  the 
next  day  saying: 

Erroneous  report  regarding  size  of  deficit  led 

me  into  violence  in  letter,  which  regret  and  beg 

you  to  forgive. 

Wagner. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(London,  June  3,  1877.) 
Dearest  Friend! 

At  last  the  confusion  of  the  past  few  days 
begins  to  unravel  itself!  I  am  astonished  how 
difficult  it  is  to  obtain  accuracy  even  from  clear- 
headed business  men. 

I  shall  report  to  you  in  time  verbally  into  what 


WAYS  AND   MEANS  297 

a  state  of  perplexity  I  have  been  thrown  by  in- 
credible thoughtlessness  and  ignorance,  as  well 
as  fantastic  presumption  not  based  on  reality. 
Enough!  No  one  has  lost  a  penny  by  me  or 
through  me. 

I  send  you  herewith  a  cheque  for  seven  hun- 
dred pounds,  and  beg  you  to  place  me  on  the  sub- 
scription list  with  ten  thousand  marks,  and  to 
pay  this  sum  at  once  to  the  most  pressing  creditor 
—  the  remainder  of  the  London  receipts  to  be 
placed  at  my  disposal. 

The  result  of  the  London  subscription  will  be 
made  known  to  us  in  a  short  time. 

Now,  don't  be  angry  with  me  for  my  recent 
violence.  It  was  really  high  time  the  singers 
should  be  paid;  and  the  twelve  hundred  pounds 
was  to  be  employed  first  of  all  for  this  purpose. 

It  was  announced  to  me  that  only  twelve  thou- 
sand marks  had  been  returned  by  you,  and  that 
the  bank  would  not  pay  this  to  me  without  your 
special  instruction. 

The  first  report  (incorrect)  caused  the  letter; 


298    THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

the  second,  the  telegram.     I  soon  perceived  the 
error  in  regard  to  the  size  of  your  remittance. 

Therefore  I  beg  for  written  absolution!  I 
have  reached  the  extreme  point  and  could  liter- 
ally jump  out  of  my  skin  at  any  moment.  .  .  . 

I  thank  you  warmly  for  the  good  birthday 
wish;  it  delighted  me  greatly  (on  this  gloomy 
day). 

To-morrow  evening  we  start  for  Ems,  where 
we  expect  to  arrive  on  the  evening  of  the  5th. 
Only  Adolph  knows  the  address;    I  do  not. 

Kindest  and  best  greetings  from  us  to  you 
and  yours. 

Your  ever  grateful 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Ems,  June  14,  1877.) 
Dearest  Friend! 

Here  are  the  two  signatures!  May  this  en- 
croachment upon  the  real  existence  of  my  family 
at  least  serve  to  gain  time  enough  in  which  to 


WAYS  AND  MEANS  299 

learn  in  peace  and  quiet  how  matters  stand,  and 
with  what  kind  of  people  I  shall  have  to  deal 
throughout  my  life.  In  order  to  see  clearly  for 
the  future,  I  feel  myself  obliged  to  recognise  that 
it  is  not  my  work  which  has  been  censured  but 
—  Bayreuth. 

My  works  will  be  performed  everywhere  and 
attract  numerous  spectators,  but  no  one  will  come 
to  Bayreuth. 

This  is  the  real  state  of  the  case,  and  the  cause 
of  the  intervening  coolness  for  my  enterprise. 
I  can  blame  the  place  only  in  so  far  that  I  chose 
it.  And  yet  I  had  a  great  idea  in  so  doing;  I 
hoped,  with  the  support  of  the  nation,  to  create 
a  thoroughly  new  and  independent  work  in  a 
place  which  should  first  rise  to  importance 
through  this  work  —  a  sort  of  Art-Washington. 

I  had  too  high  an  opinion  of  our  best  society. 
In  order  to  please  me,  and  at  the  same  time  to 
satisfy  their  curiosity,  they  sacrificed  themselves 
once  to  the  terrible  inconvenience  of  Bayreuth, 
but   became   frightened   when  a   repetition   was 


3oo    THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

suggested.  Therefore  the  coolness  toward  my 
enterprise.  A  very  important  London  firm  com- 
municated to  me  an  offer  to  remove  the  Bay- 
reuth  stage  machinery  to  a  big  London  theatre, 
with  a  repetition  of  the  Festival  during  the 
whole  of  next  season.  If  I  really  wished  it,  a 
theatre  like  mine  will  be  built  for  me  in  Leip- 
zig, and  Wiirzburg  or  Nuremberg,  to  judge  by 
the  great  success  of  the  preceding  year,  would 
be  able  to  compensate  me  and  continue  the  work. 
Bayreuth  can  only  be  a  success  if  my  idea  of 
a  musical  and  dramatic  high  school,  which  I  re- 
cently pointed  out,  could  be  carried  into  effect, 
as  this  would  lead  to  distinguished  people  set- 
tling there.  The  city  itself,  which  would  reap 
great  profit,  could  present  a  petition  to  the 
King,  etc. 

As  far  as  I  am  concerned,  I  shall  probably  do 
nothing  more  than  worry  myself  to  death  to 
cover  the  deficit  and  get  rid  of  the  theatre! 

I  am  frightened  anew  at  hearing  of  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  twenty  thousand  marks  recently 


WAYS  AND   MEANS  301 

received  in  Vienna  has  melted  away  to  seven 
thousand  nine  hundred. 

Dolce  far  niente  —  yes,  yes!  Do  nothing!  — 
No:    accomplish  nothing!    that  is  my  vocation. 

Now,  as  God  wills!    I  remain  under  everlast- 
ing obligations  to  you! 
Cordial  greetings  from 

Your  devoted 

Richard  Wagner. 

"  The  two  signatures  "  mentioned  in  the  open- 
ing of  this  letter  were  those  placed  by  Wagner 
and  his  wife  to  a  legal  document  empowering 
Feustel  to  draw  a  certain  sum  from  their  private 
treasury  and  expend  it  in  satisfying  the  demands 
of  the  most  urgent  creditors.  This,  together  with 
the  sum  which  he  had  renounced  in  London  in 
order  to  pay  the  singers  he  had  taken  with  him 
from  Germany,  amounted  to  about  fifty  thousand 
marks. 


3o2  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Ems,  July  2,  1877.) 
Dear  Friend; 

If  you  are  still  alive,  I  will  not  delay  in  ac- 
quainting you  with  my  immediate  travelling 
plans.  .  .  . 

I  have  announced  myself  for  the  third  week 
of  the  month  in  Munich  (His  Majesty  has  al- 
ready written  me  very  graciously).  Will  you 
accordingly  be  kind  enough  to  arrange  for  our 
meeting  there! 

Should  any  change  of  plans  occur,  you  will 
be  informed  in  good  time.  I  hope  that  all  is 
well  with  you  and  your  family.  Every  move  or 
retreat  on  the  chessboard  of  life  brings  anger 
with  it,  which  undoubtedly  arises  from  the  fact 
that  most  persons  are  very  sordid. 

Under  the  circumstances  of  the  "  present,"  it 
must  be  regarded  as  a  "  matter  of  course  "  that 

we  were  obliged  to  spend  our  last  spare  penny 
to  pay  the  claims  of  the  Bayreuth  hotel-keepers 
last  year. 


WAYS  AND   MEANS  303 

Heckel  was  here ;  he  will  get  as  far  as  theatre- 
director  in  Mannheim  —  so  now  at  least  he  has 
something  from  it !  I  now  hope  —  and  really 
hope  —  to  be  able  to  shift  my  heavy  burden  upon 
the  Munich  Royal  Theatre. 

This  is  the  last  hope  of  my  strange  life! 

Therefore  we  shall  see  each  other  soon.  Think 
kindly  of  me  in  the  meantime. 

I  am  going  to  learn  to  play  Taroc  *  soon !    Cor- 
dial greeting's  to  the  entire  Feustelei! 
Ever  your  grateful 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Telegram) 

(Heidelberg,  July  7,  1877.) 
Please  take  dinner  with  us  to-morrow  at  one 
o'clock  with  Zeroni.     In  the  evening  reading  of 
"  Parsifal,"  to  which  Pastor  also  invited. 

Wagner. 

1  A  well-known  Bavarian  game  of  cards. 


304     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Of  this  meeting  Heckel  writes: 

"  In  addition  to  Zeroni,  myself,  and  the  Catho- 
lic priest,  Richard  Pohl  came  from  Baden-Baden. 
We  were  the  first  who  were  made  acquainted 
with  the  drama  of  '  Parsifal.'  It  is  indescribable 
with  what  feeling  and  deep  emotion  the  Master 
read  us  his  own  poem.  He  was  so  moved  that 
he  withdrew  after  the  reading  and  left  us  alone. 

"  We  also  remained  silent,  and  it  was  a  long 
time  before  we  felt  ourselves  again  on  this  crooked 
earth !  " 

In  Heidelberg  Richard  Wagner  and  General 
Grant  met,  but  the  meeting  was  not  very  satis- 
factory, as  the  distinguished  warrior  had  never 
conquered  either  German  or  French. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Bayreuth,  October  9,  1877.) 
Dearest  Friend! 

In  order  to  prove  the   vitality  of  our  entire 

project  it  seems  to  me  to  be  high  time  to  begin 

with  the  advertisements  for  applications. 


WAYS  AND   MEANS  305 

In  regard  to  Hey  we  shall  be  obliged  to  come 
to  some  conclusion,  and  this  can  only  appear  jus- 
tifiable when  we  shall  have  been  given  our  cue  to 
a  certain  extent  by  the  success  of  the  announce- 
ment in  regard  to  the  school. 

Therefore  —  in  haste  —  advertise !  or :  have 
you  any  doubts  then :  hold  back  entirely !  What 
do  you  think? 

I  was  on  my  way  to  you,  but  my  bad  toe  forced 
me  to  turn  back. 

Cordial  greetings  from 

Your  ever  devoted 

Richard  Wagner. 

Defeated  in  his  plan  of  repeating  the  "  Ring," 
Wagner's  active  brain  at  once  evolved  a  bigger 
general  scheme,  which  was  to  make  the  Bayreuth 
Theatre  a  Dramatic  High  School,  where  singers, 
players,  and  conductors  could  learn  to  interpret 
not  only  the  Wagnerian  works  but  all  of  the 
classics  in  a  correct  manner. 

He  counted  upon  the  co-operation  of  Liszt, 


306     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Wilhelmj,  and  Professor  Julius  Hey,  the  distin- 
guished Munich  singing-master.  He  hoped  that 
under  his  personal  guidance  and  inspiration  this 
idea  would  ripen  into  a  stable  foundation  for 
future  Bayreuth  deeds,  and  he  rejoiced  in  the 
added  significance  that  would  be  given  to  his  be- 
loved Bayreuth  by  such  a  concentration  of  the 
various  artistic  elements.    He  wrote  to  Wilhelmj : 

"  I  have  in  my  mind  to  teach  the  young  people 
something  before  I  die;  namely,  tempo  —  that  is 
to  say,  interpretation.  Could  you  assure  me  of 
your  assistance  here  in  Bayreuth  from  January 
i  to  April  20  for  quartette  playing  and  general 
higher  analytical  interpretation.  What  would 
you  demand  for  this? 

"  Under  no  circumstances  should  I  presume  or 
wish  to  teach  hoiv  it  should  be  done  (composing), 
but  only  to  give  instructions  as  to  how  that  which 
has  already  been  created  should  be  properly  un- 
derstood and  interpreted." 

Wagner's  idea  was  to  arrange  a  six-year  cycle, 
which  was  to  include  the  most  significant  works 


WAYS  AND   MEANS  307 

in  German  musical  literature  as  well  as  the 
Wagner  dramas,  from  the  "  Flying  Dutchman  " 
to  the  "  Ring,"  with  "  Parsifal  "  as  a  finale  in 
1883. 

The  rehearsals  were  to  take  place  during  the 
first  two  quarters  of  the  year,  Wagner  himself 
to  be  present  at  least  three  times  a  week.  Dur- 
ing the  third  quarter  the  performances  were  to 
take  place. 

For  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  this  broadly 
outlined  Festival  plan,  a  central  Bayreuth  So- 
ciety of  Patrons  was  formed,  each  member  of 
which  pledged  himself  to  pay  fifteen  marks  a 
year  to  cover  the  expenses. 

He  applied  once  more  to  Parliament.  Inas- 
much as  the  government  paid  large  sums  each 
year  to  institutions  of  various  kinds,  why  should 
not  a  real  dramatic  school  like  the  one  planned  in 
Bayreuth  receive  support  as  well?  The  sum  of 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars  would  have  been 
sufficient,  but  before  the  close  of  the  year  he 
realised  the  hopelessness  of  his  plans  and  directed 


3o8     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

his  friends  to  concentrate  all  of  their  energies 
in  the  organisation  of  a  Society  of  Patrons 
with  a  view  to  making  possible  the  "  Parsifal  " 
performance. 

As  an  "  equivalent,"  as  Wagner  expressed  it, 
for  the  abandonment  of  the  Dramatic  High 
School,  he  then  proposed  a  journal  which  was  to 
be  called  the  "  Bayreuther  Blatter,"  and  become 
the  organ  of  communication  to  the  Wagner  So- 
cieties, a  publication  which  has  survived  its 
founder. 

That  which  gives  historic  significance  to  the 
"  Bayreuther  Blatter  "  is  that  in  its  columns  ap- 
peared nearly  all  of  the  essays  which  Wagner 
wrote  during  the  last  six  years  of  life,  on  the 
greatest  possible  variety  of  topics. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Bayreuth,  February  3,  1878.) 
Dearest  Friend! 

I  return  the  Vienna  letter  to  you  with  many 

thanks.     We  must  discuss  it  again  sometime. 


WAYS  AND   MEANS  309 

But  for  to-day,  dear  friend,  I  wish  to  express 
my  thanks  to  you,  for  the  extraordinary  patience, 
wisdom,  and  energy  which  you  have  employed  in 
dealing  with  the  situation  in  regard  to  the  Fes- 
tival deficit,  and  to  express  my  great  joy  that, 
although  this  has  been  accomplished  through  the 
King's  noble  friendship  for  me,  it  is  your  efforts 
which  have  led  up  to  such  satisfactory  results. 

The  turn  in  our  affairs  is  all  the  more  com- 
forting to  me,  as  it  is,  in  reality,  owing  to  the 
unexpected  success  of  my  own  work  that  we  now 
find  ourselves  provided  with  means  with  which 
to  struggle  against  the  lamentable  material  re- 
sults of  the  year  1876.     That  is  creditable. 

But  it  will  depend  only  upon  your  confidence 
in  the  matter,  that,  out  of  the  friendly  decision 
of  the  King,  a  prompt  and  genuine  solution  of 
the  painful  situation  can  be  found. 

All  of  this  I  know,  and  recognise  distinctly, 
and  therefore  express  to  you  the  most  sincere 
gratitude  of  a  friend. 

The  chief  gain  in  all  this  is  that  I  shall  now 


310     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

be  able  to  devote  myself  with  calm  imperturba- 
bility to  new  creations,  which  must  be  uninter- 
rupted and  undisturbed  or  else  the  good  spirits 
take  instant  flight  from  us  queer  "  geniuses." 
Accept  my  thanks  now  and  always ! 
Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

In  spite  of  all  the  efforts  made  in  various 
sources,  the  covering  of  the  deficit  of  the  first 
Stage  Festival  Play  fell  upon  the  creator  of  this 
work.  No  effective  alliance  of  patrons  and 
friends  was  organised  to  remove  this  burden 
from  him,  and  nothing  remained  to  be  done  but 
to  apply  the  royalties  of  the  Munich  performance 
of  the  "  Ring  "  to  the  gradual  liquidation  of  the 
debt,  which  meant  that  not  only  the  funds  for 
this  purpose  came  from  Wagner's  private  purse, 
but  that  he  saw  himself  coerced  into  giving  up 
the  pivotal  motive  of  his  entire  life,  namely,  the 
Bayreuth  monopoly  of  the  "  Ring." 


WAYS  AND  MEANS  311 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  March  23,  1879.) 
My  oldest  and  most  esteemed  Friend! 

How  could  you  give  me  greater  pleasure  than 
by  the  good  news  that  the  preparations  for  the 
Mannheim  performance  of  the  "  Ring  "  are  pro- 
gressing so  satisfactorily! 

If  one  takes  a  closer  view  of  the  situation,  it 
seems  like  a  miracle!  Fate  has  taken  its  ozvn 
course  with  my  works;  even  though  it  is  not  the 
one  which  I  originally  had  in  view,  it  behooves 
me  to  look  on  quite  soberly  and  calmly  and  see 
what  can  be  accomplished  for  my  cause  in  this 
way. 

This  is  my  standpoint:  I  look  on  from  a  dis- 
tance, rejoice  over  good  results,  and  am  not  as- 
tonished at  bad.  But  —  I  can  never  again  be 
present.  If  you  ever  learn  that  I  have  ever  been 
present  at  the  performance  of  a  part  of  that  work, 
you  will  be  at  liberty  to  accuse  me  of  treacherous 
friendship,  but  such  a  thing  will  never  happen. 


312     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Therefore  my  most  sincere  thanks  for  the  kind 
invitation  to  Mannheim,  which  I  beg  you  also 
to  convey  to  the  esteemed  gentlemen  of  Grand 
Ducal  Theatre  committee. 

Filled  with  the  most  agreeable  memories  of 
your  zeal  for  my  work  and  its  execution,  I  am 
and  remain 

Yours  most  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  April  28,  1879.) 
My  dear  Friend  Heckel! 

At  last  I  find  time  in  which  to  offer  my  con- 
gratulations to  you  on  your  splendid  success  as 
well  as  my  joy  at  the  success  of  your  perform- 
ances. 

Until  now  I  was  not  to  be  diverted  from  my 
finishing  touches  in  the  composition  of  "  Parsi- 
fal"; this  is  now  completed,  and  you  are  the 
first  person  in  the  outside  world  to  whom  I  ad- 
dress myself. 


WAYS  AND   MEANS  313 

You  have  furnished  a  salutary  example  in 
Mannheim  of  what  can  be  accomplished  by  a 
powerful  will.  Since  I  have  been  obliged  to  re- 
linquish all  idea  of  a  repetition  in  Bayreuth, 
it  is  only  by  the  most  carefully  prepared  per- 
formances in  our  ordinary  theatres  that  the 
permanent  vitality  of  my  work,  if  it  is  not 
to  be  altogether  lost  and  forgotten,  can  be 
proven. 

That  you  approached  your  voluntary  task  with 
apprehension,  by  anxiously  comparing  the  scope 
of  your  own  resources  with  those  of  the  very 
largest  Royal  theatres,  decided  you  to  go  ahead 
and  follow  out  my  principle  of  getting  at  the 
spirit  of  the  thing.  A  director  who  is  thoroughly 
initiated  and  who  is,  moreover,  intelligent  and 
energetic,  and,  above  all,  convinced  —  such  a 
director,  I  say,  furnishes  me  with  the  surest 
guarantee. 

However  much  as  I  am  pleased  at  the  public 
praise  of  Fischer,  I  am  not  surprised.  I  knew 
what  he  could  do. 


3i4     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

It  is  a  great  good  fortune  that  I  have  finally 
a  theatre  director  who  would  offer  a  position  to 
one  of  the  few  intelligent  and  well-trained  con- 
ductors whom  I  have  succeeded  in  winning  (for 
my  cause). 

Until  now  my  recommendations  have  always 
proved  a  detriment  to  those  whom  I  have  recom- 
mended ;  nothing  is  more  odious  to  the  directors 
of  the  Royal  theatres  than  the  so-called  "  Wag- 
nerian. "  For  then  they  say:  "Heaven  help  us! 
that  means  a  person  who  will  demand  a  lot  of 
rehearsals,  particularly  if  it  is  going  badly;  who, 
moreover,  will  not  make  any  cuts,  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  it  will  turn  out  much  better  if  it  is 
quite  incomprehensible.  No,  indeed!  I  can  get 
along  much  better  with  servile  bunglers ! '  It 
was  better  in  Mannheim  this  time,  and  I  hope 
that  the  Leipzig  performances  will  also  be  bene- 
fited by  the  fact  that  the  director  there  has  re- 
cently appointed  one  of  my  proteges  —  the  col- 
league of  Fischer  at  the  Bayreuth  performance. 
And  our  young  Brandt  as  well ! 


WAYS  AND   MEANS  315 

There  is  something  to  be  hoped  for  and  ex- 
pected there  —  that  the  entire  management,  to 
which  I  myself  am  under  obligations,  will  be 
moved  to  do  the  proper  thing.  Under  such 
circumstances  singers  and  musicians  accomplish 
wonders.  I  have  experienced  this.  But  —  the 
chief  wonder  of  all  —  Heckel  as  theatre-director ! 
Good  luck!  Now  I  understand  fate,  and  to  you, 
who  are  in  its  care,  I  send  cordial  greetings. 

Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

The  protege  here  mentioned  was  Anton  Seidl, 
and  the  director  who  had  the  perspicacity  suffi- 
cient to  appoint  the  young  "  Wagnerian  '  was 
Angelo  Neumann,  to  whom  Wagner  wrote  in 
this  connection: 

"  You  have  delighted  me  by  your  announce- 
ment of  Seidl's  appointment,  because  I  see  from 
this  that  there  is  one  theatre  at  least  to  which 
I  can  be  of  some  service. 

"  You  will  never  have  cause  to  regret  Seidl's 


3i6     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

appointment  as  long  as  you  pursue  the  course 
which  you  have  entered. 

"  Don't  concern  yourself  about  anything  but 
giving  the  best  possible  performances,  and  if  this 
requires  sacrifice,  be  assured  that  you  will  be 
amply  rewarded." 

In  a  previous  letter  Wagner  had  recommended 
his  young  protege  in  these  words: 

"  In  recommending  Seidl  to  your  notice  I  am 
consulting  his  interests  less  than  those  of  the 
Leipzig  performances  of  my  operas,  and  —  I 
know  what  I  am  doing. 

"  No  one  of  all  the  conductors  understands 
so  well  my  tempi,  and  the  union  of  the  music 
with  the  action.  I  have  trained  Seidl.  He  will 
conduct  the  '  Ring '  for  you  better  than  anyone 
else.  If  my  word  is  not  enough  to  convince  you, 
then  I  shall  never  have  any  further  suggestions 
to  make  to  you." 

Xeumann,  in  his  recent  reminiscences,  com- 
ments on  this  letter  by  saying: 

"  The  Master  was  quite  right  in  his  praise  of 


WAYS  AND  MEANS  317 

Seidl;  I  was  later  to  find  in  him  the  most  gifted 
of  all  the  Wagnerian  conductors.  ...  I  have 
neither  before  nor  since  known  a  conductor  who 
was  able  to  get  such  excellent  work  both  from 
the  singers  and  the  musicians.  .  .  . 

"  Even  from  soloists  of  mediocre  gifts  Seidl 
succeeded,  often  in  a  short  time,  in  securing  re- 
sults which  one  could  expect  only  from  the  very 
first  artists.  And  in  addition  to  this  he  had  a 
most  pronounced  instinct  and  great  understand- 
ing for  scenic  arrangements." 

In  1885  Seidl  was  called  to  New  York  to  suc- 
ceed Leopold  Damrosch  as  the  director  of  the 
German  opera,  and  his  great  services  to  Ameri- 
can art  are  a  matter  of  too  recent  history  to  need 
any  detailed  mention  here. 

He  died  in  New  York  in  1898. 


PARSIFAL 

ON  PREPARATION  AND  REALISATION 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Naples,  March  4,  1880.) 
My  dear  and  faithful  Friend! 

You  rejoiced  me  greatly  by  your  very  kind 
letter;    accept  my  best  thanks  for  the  same. 

The  immeasurable  sorrow  you  have  had  to 
bear  has  removed  you  to  a  distant  and  more 
glorified  sphere,  and  thither  I  send  you  my  most 
sympathetic  greetings.1 

My  own  life  has  been  shrouded  in  darkness 
during  the  past  few  years;  the  gray  sky  which 
almost  incessantly  hung  heavily  above  us  at 
home  has  left  its  effects  not  only  upon  my  health 
but  also  upon  my  mental  nature. 

1  This  letter  is  in  rebponse  to  the  news  Wagner  had  received 
of  the  death  of  Feustel's  wife. 


-^ft 


I   .  S^Sb 


1 


v. 


1 


c 


A 


1  ran  Cosima  Wagner 


PARSIFAL  319 

Had  I  not  had  the  immeasurable  consolation 
of  a  family  so  dear  to  me,  and  been  surrounded 
by  a  few  rarely  congenial  friends,  I  cannot  im- 
agine what  could  have  influenced  me  to  have 
taken  a  thought  about  preserving  my  own  life. 

I  cherish  absolutely  no  hope  for  Germany  and 
its  conditions,  and  this  is  saying  a  great  deal,  as, 
when  I  entered  with  full  consciousness  upon  the 
course  I  had  mapped  out  for  myself,  I  wrote  on 
my  flag,  "  Stand  or  fall  with  Germany ! ' 

For  this  reason  an  expensive  sojourn  in  Italy 
can  have  absolutely  nothing  but  a  climatic  signi- 
ficance for  me;  even  this  incredible  Naples,  with 
all  of  its  life  and  movement,  can  serve  only  as 
a  spectacle  for  my  diversion  and  to  cause  me  to 
forget;  and  even  this  it  cannot  really  furnish 
me,  as  all  the  misery  of  our  civilisation  crowds 
constantly  upon  me  in  a  thousand  variations  of 
poverty,  barbarity,  and  vice. 

In  addition  to  this  I  have  daily  increasing 
cares,  that  of  more  and  more  being  unable  to 
meet  the  growing  expenses  arising  out  of  my 


32o    THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

condition,  with  the  means  which  I  have  at  my 
command. 

In  being  thus  obliged  to  appeal  to  you  for  as- 
sistance, I  have  ever  to  keep  in  mind,  in  view  of 
the  rest  so  imperative  for  me,  how  I  —  to  be  per- 
fectly frank  —  shall  otherwise  be  able  to  manage 
to  exist  under  the  enormous  demands  made  by 
the'  state  of  my  health. 

I  have  therefore  seriously  considered  anew  a 
trip  to  America,  and  have  taken  into  account  the 
great  tax  this  will  make  upon  my  physical 
strength.  To  be  frank,  I  have  always  recoiled 
from  the  thought  of  allowing  myself  to  be 
dragged  about  by  a  speculator  only  out  of  avar- 
ice, in  order  that,  under  the  most  favourable 
conditions,  I  may  eventually  return  with  a  little 
fortune  and  —  then  begin  the  misery  all  over 
again !  —  Yes,  perhaps,  to  sacrifice  my  money 
again  for  an  idea  to  which  I  think  I  have  already 
sacrificed  enough,  only  to  realise  in  the  end  how 
this  idea  stands  in  relation  to  our  entire  German 
character. 


PARSIFAL  321 

In  spite  of  this  feeling,  I  must  confide  to  you 
that  the  thought  of  settling  permanently  in 
America  with  my  family,  my  idea,  and  my  work 
has  quite  taken  possession  of  me. 

I  have  chiefly  to  regret  that  I  did  not  sooner 
select  a  fresher  and  more  fertile  soil  for  the 
future  of  my  works  as  well  as  for  my  family, 
and  therefore  my  deep  conviction  of  the  deca- 
dence of  European  culture  only  induces  me  to 
consider  all  the  more  seriously  and  definitely  this 
means  of  escape. 

I  am  almost  letting  my  decision  depend  upon 
how  my  offer  is  regarded  by  the  Americans.  At 
the  present  I  must  consider  how  I  may  extend 
my  present  sojourn,  as  my  excellent  local  physi- 
cian strongly  recommends  the  sea  baths,  which 
cannot  begin  before  June,  as  the  best  remedy 
for  the  complete  restoration  of  my  health. 

This  circumstance,  which  in  many  ways  calls 
for  due  consideration,  is  particularly  agreeable 
to  me  in  one  point,  and  that  is  the  possibility 
that  you  and  Adolph  may  visit  us  here. 


322     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

This  would  be  really  something  beautiful  and 
worth  while,  and  believe  me,  quite  apart  from  the 
pleasure  of  our  meeting,  I  long  earnestly  to  show 
the  beauties  of  this  wonder  world  to  those  I  love; 
it  is  indescribable! 

My  present  troubles  are  nothing  but  the  after 
effects  of  the  climatic  conditions  in  Bayreuth. 
Now  we  are  wiser,  scarcely  leave  our  terraces 
and  gardens,  do  not  exhaust  ourselves  with  long 
tours,  avoid  as  far  as  possible  the  society  and 
din  of  the  streets,  and  give  up  ourselves  entirely 
to  the  enjoyment  of  such  air  and  such  sunlight 
as  one  would  rarely  find  anywhere  else  on  earth 
—  therefore —  Auf  IViedersehen  in  Naples! 

For  to-day  I  say  only  a  heartfelt  fare  you  well. 
May  you  fathom  all  that  I  mean  thereby. 

Always  your  most  grateful  friend, 

Richard  Wagner. 


PARSIFAL  323 

To  Friedrich  Schon 

(Naples,  June  28,  1881.) 
My  highly  esteemed  Friend! 

How  deeply  I  regret  to  learn  from  your  letter 
to  my  dear  wife  that  you  are  placed  in  any  un- 
certainty concerning-  me! 

I  should  like  very  much  to  learn,  from  a  plan 
which  you  should  lay  before  me,  wherein  your 
justification  for  an  agitation  in  favour  of  the 
Bayreuth  idea  consists,  in  order  that  I  may  do 
what  is  expected  of  me. 

I  only  beg  of  you,  in  regard  to  the  execution 
of  your  plan,  to  take  into  consideration  my  ex- 
perience concerning  the  German  world  as  well 
as  myself. 

I  should  not  like  you  to  place  my  proposed  plan 
of  September,  1877,  too  much  in  the  foreground; 
as  all  the  experience  I  have  gained  serves  to  show 
me  that  at  that  time  —  I  confess  not  entirely  un- 
consciously —  T  reckoned  without  my  host. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  I  take  into  consideration 


324     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

the  hopes  awakened  in  me  and  all  my  friends 
since  you  have  come  to  our  aid,  I  can  see  no 
other  possibility  of  meeting  your  wishes  than  by 
—  as  you  think  —  endeavouring  to  give  a  fresh 
impulse  to  the  interest  we  failed  to  arouse  with 
the  Festival  of  1876,  by  presenting  "  Parsifal  " 
at  the  earliest  possible  moment. 

This  plan  seems  feasible  for  the  year  1882, 
provided  I  can  remain  perfectly  quiet  until  that 
time;  but  this  only,  as  far  as  the  material  pos- 
sibilities are  concerned,  in  the  event  that  I  can 
lay  claim  to  the  assistance  of  the  King  of  Bavaria. 

Under  such  assured  conditions  I  intend  to  pre- 
sent, in  addition  to  the  "  Parsifal,"  one  of  my 
older  works  each  year,  in  town,  making  these 
model  performances  my  artistic  testament  to  my 
friends.  As  I  am  to-day  in  my  sixty-eighth  year, 
I  can  count  upon  a  ripe  and  vigorous  old  age  for 
the  realisation  of  this  plan,  and  think  I  shall 
then  have  done  enough  to  be  released  from  the 
performance  of  "  Magic  Flute,"  "  Freischiitz," 
"  Fidelio,"  etc. 


PARSIFAL  325 

Anything  I  can  do  privately  in  the  way  of  in- 
struction and  information  I  shall  be  glad  to  do 
—  you  only  need  to  visit  me  here  in  Bayreuth. 

If  with  each  performance  of  my  works  I  do 
not  leave  behind  my  "  school,"  then  I  have  noth- 
ing whatever  to  do  with  a  "  school."  .  .  . 

To  Carl  Brandt 

(Bayreuth,  January,  1881.) 
Esteemed  Friend  and  Colleague! 

It  is  going  to  be  serious  with  "  Parsifal."  I 
inquire  of  you  if  you  are  again  willing  to  stand 
by  me.  If  I  have  the  necessary  means,  I  shall 
show  in  yearly  performances  how  I  hope  to  have 
all  of  my  works  performed. 

Will  you  help  me  in  this?  We  have  shown 
what  we  can  do;  ich  muss  nodi  cinmal  wollen; 
wollen  Sic  mil  wollen?  !  If  so,  then  I  beg  of  you 
as  the  first  thing  that  you  will  give  me  the  pleas- 

1  It  is  impossible  to  find  an  English  equivalent  for  this  reitera- 
tive use  of  the  word  wollen,  and  in  order  not  to  rob  it  of  its 
intended  character,  the  German  phrase  is  allowed  to  stand. 


326     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

ure  of  a  visit  as  soon  as  convenient  for  you;  you 
will  be  kind  enough  to  stop  with  me. 
With  most  cordial  greetings, 
Your  faithful  old 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Emil  Heckel 

(Bayreuth,  July  2,  1882.) 
Oh!  old  Friend! 

Must  you  also  make  my  life  a  burden  by  taking 
offence  because  I  allowed  an  inquiry  from  you 
to  be  answered  by  my  wife,  as  it  had  to  be  got- 
ten off  and  I  was  hard  at  work  on  my  score? 

There  seem  to  be  idlers  who  can  always  write 
letters!     Possibly  I  shall  come  to  that  also! 

Dearest  friend,  the  enclosed  I  return  to  you  with 
a  thousand  thanks  (that  is  understood)  !  But  I 
cannot  possibly  bother  my  patrons  with  such  jests  J1 

Many  thanks  for  all  your  kindness, 

Ever  your  same 

Richard  Wagner. 

1  Heckel  had  laboriously  arranged  an  arithmetical  table  of 
the  number  of  measures  in  Wagner's  various  works  which  he  wished 
to  appear  in  the  "  Bayreuther  Blatter." 


PARSIFAL  327 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Venice, 
Palazzo  Contarini  dalle  figure, 
Gran  Canale.) 

My  dearest  faithful  Friend! 

And  so  a  misunderstanding  must  bring  us 
again  into  correspondence,  after  I  had  refrained 
for  so  long  a  time  from  approaching  you. 

The  reason  for  this  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact 
that,  after  the  distressing  experience  through 
which  you  have  been  called  upon  to  pass,  my  own 
situation,  at  no  time  free  from  care  and  anxiety, 
did  not  suggest  to  me  just  the  way  in  which  this 
could  be  done. 

Now  I  know  that  you  yourself  have  conquered 
your  grief  and  view  life  again  with  firm  courage! 
I  was  comforted  by  this! 

As  for  myself,  it  seems  as  if  nothing  could 
affect  me;  I  see  before  me  possibilities  which  I 
have  not  the  least  intention  of  avoiding. 

But  I  am  in  great  perplexity  about  the  offer 
of  this  man   in   Berlin.     I  believe  he  is  asking 


328     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

for  my  technical  assistance  for  a  Wagner  the- 
atre he  proposes  to  erect. 

In  the  meantime  I  am  to  build  such  a  theatre 
upon  one  of  his  sites,  as  a  sort  of  speculation, 
etc.,  etc. 

For  God's  sake,  let  him  erect  a  circus  or  some- 
thing of  that  sort;  I  have  had  enough  of  the 
Bayreuth  theatre. 

Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  give  this  gentle- 
man whatever  information  you  deem  necessary? 

Something  is  yet  to  come  of  our  Bayreuth  — 
at  least  I  think  so.  My  ideas  in  regard  to  this 
you  have  probably  already  heard. 

i.  "  Parsifal"  I  retain  solely  and  exclusively 
for  Bayreuth;  even  the  King  renounces  it  for 
Munich,  but  sends  me  every  year  his  chorus  and 
orchestra. 

2.  Yearly  performances  open  to  everyone  for 
admission  (high!). 

3.  The  patrons'  fund  is  to  serve  as  capital 
for  the  enterprise;  as  this  fund  increases,  aug- 
mented by  the  box  office  receipts,  it  is  in  time 


PARSIFAL  329 

to   serve   for  the   further   performances   of  my 
works. 

I  herewith  relinquish  all  the  receipts,  as  I  am 
not  even  editing  the  "  Parsifal  "  score. 

I  must  look  elsewhere  for  personal  support; 
five  months  in  America  (September,  1881,  April, 
1882)  shall  secure  me  an  independent  income. 

So  the  matter  stands  and  —  I  think  all  will  be 
well! 

Your  ever  grateful 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Bayreuth,  July  18,  1881.) 
Dearest  and  most  valued  Friend! 

After  being  informed  as  to  the  way  matters 
stand  in  your  negotiations  as  to  the  publication 
of  a  piano  arrangement  of  my  Stage-Consecrat- 
ing Play  "  Parsifal,"  T  believe  it  to  be  necessary 
to  express  myself  to  you  in  the  following  manner. 

During  the  writing  of  the  same,  the  nature  of 
this,  my  last  work,  has  become  more  and  more 


33o     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

clear  to  me,  and  I  have  reached  the  conclusion 
that,  even  under  all  the  circumstances  which 
made  possible  the  performances  of  single  num- 
bers of  the  "  Nibelung's  Ring"  in  our  Court 
and  municipal  theatres,  the  Stage-Consecrating 
Play  of  "  Parsifal,''  the  action  of  which  is  taken 
directly  from  the  mysteries  of  the  Christian  re- 
ligion, could  not  possibly  be  included  in  the  regu- 
lar operatic  repertoire. 

When  I  imparted  this  to  my  noble  benefactor 
the  King  of  Bavaria,  with  the  most  perfect  un- 
derstanding, he  refused  immediately  to  have  the 
1  Parsifal  "  given  in  his  own  Court  theatre,  but, 
on  the  contrary,  declared  that  only  the  Festival 
Theatre  of  Bayreuth  was  suited  to  such  a  unique 
and  distinct  performance. 

In  consideration  of  this  noble  decision,  it  is 
difficult  to  decide  as  to  the  profitableness  of  pub- 
lishing a  piano  arrangement,  as  an  actual  ac- 
quaintance with  this  one  of  my  works  can  only 
be  gained  by  a  visit  to  the  proposed  yearly  per- 
formance in  Bavreuth   for  all  time.  .  .  . 


PARSIFAL  33i 

To  Carl  Brandt 

(Bayreuth,  October  17,  1881.) 
Dear  Friend! 

Solicitude  as  to  my  health  will  not  permit  me 
to  remain  here  much  longer.  On  Tuesday  I  shall 
go  with  my  family  direct  to  Palermo  (Hotel  des 
Palmes),  and  expect  to  return  only  at  the  last 
moment  —  in  May  or  June. 

I  should  be  anxious  about  this,  and  fear  that 
something  in  connection  with  the  next  year's 
Festival  would  be  neglected,  did  I  not  feel  that, 
thanks  to  your  care  and  solicitude,  everything 
will  be  arranged  beforehand.  I  feel  therefore 
that  I  may  put  my  mind  quite  at  rest  concerning 
the  scenic  and  other  arrangements.  All  musical 
preparation  has  been  assumed  by  K.  M.  Levi,1 
and  Dr.  Schukowsky  (who  will  also  be  absent 
from  Bayreuth  during  the  winter)  has  looked 
after  all  the  necessary  arrangements  in  regard  to 
the  costumes  and  scenic  requisites ;  the  only  point 

1  Kapellmeister  Levi. 


332     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

which  would  cause  me  any  uneasiness  would  be 
in  the  event  that  you,  dearest  colleague  and 
friend,  did  not  consent  to  act  as  my  represen- 
tative in  the  negotiations  with  the  Frankfort 
theatrical  costumier. 

Therefore  I  beg  of  you  to  consider  yourself 
as  fully  authorised  by  me  to  supervise  closely  the 
work  of  the  costumier,  to  take  a  stand  against 
any  dilatoriness,  and  also  to  make  sure  of  his 
services  as  chief  property-man  with  the  requisite 
number  of  assistants. 

The  local  Executive  Committee  will  at  once 
support  you  in  any  measure,  and  Herr  Gross  is 
there  to  listen  to  any  complaint. 

Confident  of  your  willingness  to  do  this,  I 
shall  set  out  comforted  in  search  of  a  better 
climate. 

It  is  time  that  I  should  do  so,  for  I  am  con- 
vinced that  I  shall  not  live  another  year  if  I 
remain  here  during  the  winter. 

I  said  to  Schnappauf  that  at  most  there  were 
only  five  days  when  the  sun  did  not  shine  in 


PARSIFAL  333 

Palermo,  and  he  said  it  was  in  Upper  Franconia 
during  these  five  days. 

Once  again  sincere  thanks  from  a  heart  deeply 
grateful  for  your  effective  support  in  the  past 
as  well  as  for  this  my  last  undertaking;  with 
you  to  help  me  I  feel  secure  about  everything  — 
everything!     With  the  most  cordial  greetings, 

Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Fritz  Brandt 

(Palermo,  January  14,  1882.) 
Dear  young  Friend! 

Thanks  for  your  letter  —  it  was  very  kind ! 
Not  until  to-day  have  I  been  able  to  write  to 
you!  I  was  obliged  to  postpone  this  distressing 
matter,  as  my  condition  is  such  that  my  dear 
wife  had  scruples  about  informing  me  of  the 
sudden  death  of  your  dear  father  —  an  accident 
revealed  to  me  this  calamity! 

You  surely  understand  me  and  forgive  me  for 
not  being  able  to  put  my   feelings  into  words. 


334     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

I  stand  in  the  third  age  of  humanity,  and  have 
already  seen  two  generations  of  contemporaries 
pass  away;  in  your  father  I  lost  the  last  mem- 
ber of  the  second  generation  which  connected 
me  with  the  past. 

In  you  I  greet  the  third  generation,  to  which 
I  have  surrendered  the  further  deeds  of  my  ma- 
ture old  age.     I  welcome  you! 

I  assume  that  you  are  willing  to  carry  into 
execution  the  last  work  in  which  your  father  and 
I  were  associated.  At  all  events,  everything  is 
at  your  disposal  for  this,  and  you  know  exactly 
what  is  to  be  done  in  regard  to  the  scenic  pro- 
duction of  "  Parsifal." 

Permit  me  therefore  to  appoint  you  to  the 
position,  in  connection  with  my  Bayreuth  per- 
formance, made  vacant  by  the  death  of  your 
father. 

During  my  absence  of  several  months  my  Ex- 
ecutive Council  in  Bayreuth  will  be  ready  to  give 
you  all  information  and  assist  you  in  all  neces- 
sary arrangements. 


PARSIFAL  335 

To  the  most  sympathetic  greetings  to  your 
mother  I  add  the  assurances  of  the  most  friendly 
feeling  for  yourself. 

Your  deeply  sorrowing 

Richard  Wagner. 

To  Friedrich  Feustel 

(Palermo,  January  17,  1882.) 

My  dear  Friend! 

It  is  certainly  time  that  I  let  you  hear  from 
me  again!  Forgive  me  for  this  neglect,  but  I 
hope  that  the  news  of  me  which  has  reached  you 
from  time  to  time  has  kept  you  sufficiently  in- 
formed as  to  banish  all  doubts  as  to  my  loyalty 
and  devotion. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  completion  of  my  last 
great  work  has  greatly  exhausted  me!  Now  it 
is  finished,  and  may  the  course  of  its  ultimate 
realisation  present  no  difficulties!  I  shall  hope 
so!  The  most  unexpected  interruptions,  and  the 
distressing  incident  of  the  death  of  my  important 
colleague  Brandt,  had  to  be  overcome. 


336     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

To  the  son  of  my  dead  friend,  Fritz,  who  is 
already  thoroughly  initiated  into  the  present  task, 
I  have  already  transferred  the  completion  of  his 
father's  work,  and  referred  him  to  the  Execu- 
ecutive  Council  in  all  questions  concerning  the 
same. 

As  for  the  rest,  I  think  I  have  left  everything 
in  good  order,  so  that  I  can  feel  justified  in  per- 
mitting myself  a  complete  surrender  to  impres- 
sions so  very  much  needed  for  the  improvement 
of  my  bodily  condition.  .  .  . 

It  distresses  me  to  see  my  friends  in  embar- 
rassment in  regard  to  our  Festival  Theatre ;  will 
you  kindly  convey  to  our  excellent  friend  Burgo- 
master Muncker,  first  of  all,  my  hearty  thanks 
for  his  energetic  stand  in  this  not  very  agreeable 
matter. 

When  I  take  a  general  survey  of  the  attitude 
of  my  own  age  to  me  during  the  past  ten  years, 
I  must  confess  that  the  balance  of  my  gratitude 
falls  on  the  side  of  the  friends  whom  I  made 
during  that  time,  and  I  herewith  declare  that 


PARSIFAL  337 

next  to  my  family  the  dearest  of  all  things  to 
me  is  Bayreuth. 

Accept  your  own  great  and  full  share  of  this, 
my  dearest  friend,  and  be  assured  for  all  time 
of  the  most  sincere  gratitude  and  friendship  of 

Yours  faithfully, 

Richard  Wagner. 

With  this  acknowledgment  of  his  debt  of 
gratitude  to  Bayreuth,  the  collection  of  Bayreuth 
Letters  comes  to  a  fitting  close,  but  in  order  to 
carry  out  the  "  Story  of  Bayreuth  "  to  its  logical 
conclusion,  it  has  been  thought  best  to  include 
the  epoch-making  Festival  which  took  place  in 
the  summer  of  1882. 

The  inception  of  Wagner's  eleventh  and  last 
music  drama  of  "  Parsifal  "  must  be  sought  in 
the  earlier  period  of  the  composer's  creative 
activity. 

In  fact,  with  the  single  exception  of  '  Tristan 
and  Isolde,"  —  which,  as  all  the  world  knows, 
was  called  into  existence  bv  the  Swiss  exile  and 


338     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Wagner's  friendship  with  Mathilde  Wesendonk, 
—  all  of  the  music  dramas  were  conceived  at 
a  time  when  their  author  had  not  yet  achieved 
his  thirty-fifth  year. 

In  1848  he  made  a  sketch  of  a  drama  which 
was  to  be  called  "  Jesus  of  Nazareth,"  and  in 
which,  for  the  first  time,  the  "  Parsifal  "  episode 
is  foreshadowed. 

That  the  idea  in  its  ultimate  development  dif- 
fered radically  from  the  earlier  sketch  is  to  be 
read  in  the  reminiscences  of  Frau  Eliza  Wille. 
Here  this  true  but  staunchly  orthodox  friend' 
gives  vehement  expression  to  the  indignation  she 
felt  at  learning  from  Wagner  that  he  considered 
the  earthly  love  of  the  Magdalene  for  the 
"  Prophet  of  Nazareth  "  a  grateful  subject  for 
a  stage  work. 

"  He  presented  the  '  thrilling  beauty  '  of  this 
episode  to  us  with  great  vivacity.  I  stared  at 
him  in  astonishment  and  left  the  room."  Later 
she  adds :  "  In  the  last  gift  of  his  genius,  in  the 
knightly   priest,   Parsifal,   and   Kundry,  who   is 


PARSIFAL  339 

freed  from  the  sway  of  the  evil  spirits,  is  again 
found  the  idea  which  he  already  had  in  mind 
as  early  as  1852." 

Henry  T.  Finck,  in  his  Wagner  biography, 
relates  an  interesting  incident  told  him  by  Anton 
Seidl  in  regard  to  the  Flower  Maiden  music. 
"  When  Seidl  first  became  Wagner's  secretary, 
he  one  day  heard  him  playing  ravishing  strains, 
which  made  an  indelible  impression  upon  him. 
Some  years  later,  when  Seidl  was  putting  the 
sketches  into  rough  shape  for  practical  use, 
Wagner  played  various  parts  for  him.  When 
he  came  to  the  Flower  Maiden  music,  Seidl  re- 
marked :  '  Ah,  I  know  that ! '  Whereupon  Wag- 
ner jumped  up  excitedly,  almost  angrily,  and 
wanted  to  know  where  he  had  heard  it.  He  was 
somewhat  pacified  on  being  told  where,  but  for 
a  long  time  the  shock  affected  him,  and  he  often 
said  to  his  young  secretary:  'Well,  have  you 
found  any  more  familiar  things  in  my  music?  ' 

Hans  von  Wolzogen,  the  veteran  Wagnerian, 
has  quite  recently  put  upon  paper  some  interest- 


340    THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

ing  reminiscences  of  this  "  Parsifal "  period,  at 
which  time  he  was  an  inmate  of  Wahnfried 
in  the  capacity  of  editor  of  the  "  Bayreuther 
Blatter." 

"  The  great  magician,  who  was  usually  the 
soul  of  punctuality  ('tardiness,'  he  used  to  say, 
*  is  the  next  thing  to  treason  '),  came  in  late  one 
day  to  the  so-called  Kindertafel,  and  looking 
about  him  with  a  pleased  smile  said,  '  Well, 
children,  I  have  hung  a  mantle  about  my  Kling- 
sor  to-day  which  I  think  will  suit  him  very  well.' 

"  Another  time  he  gave  a  sigh  of  relief  and 
said,  '  At  last  I  have  got  him  off  my  hands,  the 
musical-dramatic  horse-radish;  from  now  on,  I 
shall  write  only  quartettes.'  By  which  we  un- 
derstood that  he  had  finished  the  terrible  Kling- 
sor  scene  and  was  ready  to  set  about  giving  a 
musical  form  to  the  Flower  Maidens.  After 
that  we  often  heard  the  Flower  Maiden  music 
in  the  evening,  which  Wagner  jokingly  charac- 
terised as  his  '  latest  ballet.'  " 

That    nothing    was    further    from    Wagner's 


PARSIFAL  341 

thought  than  any  set  of  terpsichorean  evolutions 
borrowed  from  the  operatic  stage,  for  which  he 
had  so  profound  a  contempt,  was  proven  by  his 
letter  inviting  Richard  Fricke  to  come  to  Bay- 
reuth  and  assume  direction  of  the  Flozver  Maiden 
scene,  "  which  is  to  be  absolutely  un-ballet  like. 
I  can  show  you  what  I  mean!  Your  material 
will  be :  soloists  of  the  best  quality,  at  their  head 
the  Lehmann  sisters,"  to  which  Fricke  responded, 
"  Give  me  a  sufficient  number  of  Lilli  Lehmanns 
and  I  could  tear  the  world  to  pieces." 

Fricke  was  the  Nestor  among  the  German 
dancing-masters  of  that  period,  but  he  cared  less 
for  the  technique  of  the  ballet  than  the  artistic 
thought  and  the  true  spirit  of  the  composition. 
He  was  a  thinking  artist,  and  it  was  this  rare 
quality  which  attracted  and  held  the  interest  of 
such  a  man  as  Richard  Wagner. 

It  was  Fricke  who  was  called  to  Bayreuth  in 
1875  to  organise  the  horde  of  the  Nibelung  in 
their  comically  drastic  motions,  and  it  was  he 
who   was    again    summoned    when    the    Flower 


342     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Maidens  were  to  be  trained  in  their  difficult 
evolutions. 

In  this  connection  it  is  of  interest  to  read  a 
characteristic  effusion  which  was  sent  to  Lilli 
Lehmann  in  response  to  her  request  to  be  allowed 
to  see  the  score  of  the  music: 

"Oh,  my  best  of  all  the  Lillis!  To  let  the 
1  Parsifal '  score  go  out  of  my  hands  requires 
serious  consideration.  The  composition  is  fin- 
ished, and  anyone  who  comes  to  me  here  in  Bay- 
reuth  can  hear  it  played  from  beginning  to  end 
by  Rubinstein  (Josef). 

"  But  —  as  I  said  —  first  I  must  consider  it  a 
little. 

"  But  my  Kapellmeisterin  Lilli  shall  see  what 
she  now  has  to  do!  All  sorts  of  devilish  ideas 
which  only  occurred  to  me  because  her  genius 
was  ever  before  me.  Without  Lilli  is  Klingsor's 
sorcery  not  to  be  accomplished. 

"  Oh,  and  here  she  has  something  to  sing!  If 
she  would  only  come,  she  could  see  it;  she  must 
be  responsible   for  the  entire  thing!     But  —  to 


PARSIFAL  343 

send  it  away  —  out  of  the  house,  that  is  impos- 
sible just  now.  What  an  unlucky  star  could 
hang  over  such  a  manuscript! 

"  Therefore  —  we  must  act  together !  " 

In  a  later  letter  Wagner  writes :  "  Here  is  a 
sort  of  piano  arrangement  of  the  scene  with  the 
Flozver  Maidens  in  the  second  act  of  '  Parsifal.' 
Take  a  close  look  at  it;  it  is  no  joke,  and  from 
this  single  scene  you  will  be  able  to  see  that  my 
latest  work  is  not  intended  for  the  theatres  scat- 
tered here  and  there  and  everywhere."  * 

Hans  von  Wolzogen  was  also  one  of  the  little 
band  who  listened  to  the  "Parsifal'  drama  at 
Wahnfried  in  September,  1877,  the  occasion 
being  the  Conference  of  the  Delegates. 

"  This  reading  was  my  first  experience  in 
Wahnfried!  And  what  a  memorable  event  it 
was  to  me!  Think  of  hearing  the  'Parsifal' 
drama  for  the  very  first  time  (without  an  inkling 

1  This  letter  is  from  the  recently  published  volume  of  cor- 
respondence, "Richard  Wagner  to  His  Artists,"  and  appears  here, 
for  the  first  time  in  English,  by  the  courtesy  of  the  German  pub- 
lishers, Schuster  &  Loeffler  (Berlin). 


344     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

of  it  more  than  the  hint  given  me  by  Emil 
Heckel  that  there  was  a  sort  of  Venusberg 
scene!)  and  to  become  acquainted  with  it  out  of 
the  poet's  own  mouth! 

"  His  delivery  was  characterised  by  the  great- 
est degree  of  naturalness,  without  any  attempt 
at  pathos,  and  was  only  raised  to  the  ethical 
power  of  expression  by  the  emotional  sincerity 
of  its  creator!  Here,  for  the  first  time,  Gume- 
manc  and  the  young  knights  were  awakened  by 
the  morning  call  from  the  Grailsberg;  here  for 
the  first  time  appeared  the  enigmatic  figure  of 
Kundry,  the  wild  messenger  of  the  Grail;  here 
for  the  first  time  the  sick  king  was  borne  in 
with  impressive  solemnity;  here  for  the  first 
time  we  heard  the  expression  '  pure  fool '  and 
saw  the  mysterious  picture  of  the  sacred  spear! 

'  O  wunden,  wundervoller  heiliger  Speer! ' 

Not  even  when  heard  in  Scaria's  most  powerful 
tones  did  this  invocation  of  the  mysterious  sym- 
bol affect  me  as  strangely  as  in  this  reading  of 


PARSIFAL  345 

the  Master's.  I  remember  that  all  of  these 
strange  and  surprising  occurrences,  which  fol- 
lowed each  other  in  such  quick  succession,  im- 
pressed me  at  first  as  a  romantic  epic  of  adven- 
ture, with  an  uncanny  mysterious  meaning,  and 
it  was  not  until  the  second  act  that  I  awoke 
from  this  epic  dream  and  began  to  grasp  the 
real  meaning  of  the  drama  —  the  great  drama 
of  redemption :    Parsifal  —  Kundry!  " 

Franz  Liszt,  ever  the  high-minded  champion 
of  the  Bayreuth  Master,  wrote: 

1  The  sketch  of  '  Parsifal,'  which  Wagner 
read  to  us  recently,  is  filled  and  permeated  with 
the  essence  of  Christianity.  It  would  be  a  singu- 
lar inconsistency  to  admire  the  last  scene  of 
'Faust'  (Part  Second)  and  to  condemn  'Par- 
sifal,' which,  to  me,  seems  to  stand  on  the 
same  plane  of  mystic  inspiration.  In  fact,  I 
am  willing  to  confess  that  most  of  our 
poets  who  are  regarded  as  Christian-Catholics 
stand    far    behind    Wagner    in    their    religious 


sentiments." 


346     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  musi- 
cal surprise  prepared  by  Wagner  for  his  wife 
Cosima  in  Triebschen,  December  25,  1870,  when 
he  made  her  a  birthday  present  of  the  "  Siegfried 
Idyll." 

The  same  date,  eight  years  later,  was  chosen 
as  a  christening  day  for  the  "  Parsifal  Vorspiel." 
In  chronicling  this  event  Glasenapp  says: 

"  Through  the  generosity  of  the  Duke  of  Mei- 
ningen  the  ducal  orchestra  was  granted  a  two 
days'  leave  of  absence,  and  placed  at  Wagner's 
disposal  for  the  first  performance  of  the  '  Par- 
sifal Vorspiel,'  which  took  place  in  the  hall  at 
Wahnf  ried  between  seven  and  eight  in  the  morn- 
ing. The  impression  created  by  the  sublime 
sounds,  heard  here  for  the  first  time,  was  an  in- 
describable one.  ...  It  was  the  birthday  of  the 
*  Parsifal  Vorspiel,'  the  most  sublime  orchestral 
prelude  ever  presented  to  the  musical  world." 

Two  months  before,  Wagner  had  written  a 
letter  to  his  friend,  Edward  Dannreuther,  in 
London,  the  chief  burden  of  which  was  a  request 


PARSIFAL  347 

that  some  Yorkshire  hams  be  sent  him,  and  clos- 
ing with  the  remark,  "  The  '  Vorspiel '  is  fin- 
ished.    It  sounds  very  nice!" 

It  was  Dannreuther  to  whom  a  second  appeal 
of  a  totally  different  nature  was  sent  two  years 
later,  in  reference  to  the  bells  whose  solemn  peal- 
ing closes  the  first  and  last  acts.  According  to 
Henry  T.  Finck  these  bells  unfortunately  were 
a  failure  at  the  first  "  Parsifal  "  Festival.  Their 
sound  was  to  be  produced  by  a  kind  of  specially 
constructed  hammer-klavier.  At  later  festivals  a 
great  improvement  was  effected  by  combining  the 
sounds  of  tam-tams  with  the  piano  strings ;  "  but 
absolute  illusion  has  not  yet  been  reached  in  this 
respect." 

Wagner  himself  realised  the  inadequacy  of  the 
first  attempt,  and  hence  his  telegram  to  Dann- 
reuther four  days  preceding  the  first  perform- 
ance: 

"  My  kingdom  for  a  tam-tam !  With  the 
proper  C  normal  Diapason!" 

The  response  with  which  the  "  Parsifal  "  idea 


348     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

met  gave  a  strong  impetus  to  the  work,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  effectively  dispelling  from  Wagner's 
mind  the  whimsical  idea  to  which  he  gave  ex- 
pression in  one  of  his  moments  of  despondency. 

'  When  my  old  friend  Brnnnhilde  leaps  into 
the  funeral  pyre,  I  shall  also  rush  into  the  flames, 
and  hope  to  find  there  a  blessed  death.  So  that 
is  settled!    Amen!  " 

He  felt  impelled  to  give  a  new  —  perhaps  a 
last  —  musical  message  to  the  world,  and  the 
musical  sketches  for  the  "  Parsifal  "  score  grew 
with  astonishing  rapidity. 

"  Parsifal '  had  been  promised  for  the  sum- 
mer of  1880,  and  could  have  been  easily  com- 
pleted had  the  enthusiasm  of  the  intimate  circle 
of  friends  in  and  about  Wahnfried,  who  were 
following  with  such  intense  interest  every  step 
in  the  development  of  this  music-drama,  com- 
municated itself  to  the  German  public  at 
large. 

o 

But  this  was  not  the  case,  and  at  a  meeting 
of  the  Society  of  Patrons  at  Wiesbaden  in  March, 


PARSIFAL  349 

1880,  there  was  no  alternative  but  that  of  post- 
poning the  "  Parsifal  "  Festival  until  1882. 

Wagner  was  at  the  time  in  Palermo,  endeav- 
ouring to  regain  his  health  and  enjoy  the  abso- 
lute rest  and  quiet  necessary  to  the  completion 
of  his  "  Parsifal,"  and  it  was  at  the  Hotel  des 
Palmes  in  Palermo  that  (January  13,  1882)  he 
could  write  the  word  Finis  on  the  score.  But 
before  this  auspicious  point  had  been  reached, 
he  was  forced  to  pass  through  another  slough 
of  despondency,  and  in  his  disgust  at  the  com- 
plete indifference  of  the  German  nation,  he  seri- 
ously contemplated  moving  to  America. 

To  Hans  von  Wolzogen  he  wrote  at  this  time : 
"...  I  hope  to  be  able  to  stand  it  in  my  native 
land,  and  am  ready  for  anything  if  —  yes,  if?  — 
Dearest  friend,  I  shall  leave  off  for  to-day  with 
this  '  if,'  for  it  makes  me  too  sad  to  give  ex- 
pression to  my  absolute  hopelessness  concerning 
European,  and  more  especially  German,  culture. 

"  This  firm  conviction  of  its  ever-increasing 
decadence  is  so  strong  in  me  that,  in  order  to 


350    THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

preserve  the  seed  which  I  possess,  I  have  seri- 
ously thought  of  a  complete  and  permanent  re- 
moval to  America,  in  order  to  plant  this  seed 
when  it  will  fructify  in  a  soil  composed  of  Ger- 
man elements." 

Again  it  was  King  Ludwig  who  removed  the 
difficulties  which  threatened  to  obstruct  the  real- 
isation of  the  second  Bayreuth  Festival.  After 
listening  to  the  "  Parsifal  Vorspiel,"  played  by 
his  own  orchestra  under  the  baton  of  the  com- 
poser, he  consented  to  assume  the  protectorate 
of  the  Festival,  at  the  same  time  placing  at 
Wagner's  disposal  the  forces  of  the  Munich 
Opera  under  the  joint  conductors  Hermann  Levi 
and  Franz  Fischer. 

Without  this  intervention  of  the  King,  Wag- 
ner's last  artistic  deed  could  not  have  been  car- 
ried to  its  execution  —  at  least,  not  without  a 
repetition  of  the  unpleasant  features  of  the  first 
Festival,  and  an  involving  of  the  enterprise  in 
renewed  financial  confusion. 

The   appointment    of    Hermann    Levi   as   the 


PARSIFAL  351 

musical  director  of  "  Parsifal  "  led  to  an  anony- 
mous letter  being  sent  to  Wagner,  in  which  he 
was  implored  "  to  keep  his  work  undefiled  and 
not  let  it  be  conducted  by  a  Jew."  Wagner,  who 
did  not  take  the  matter  at  all  seriously,  showed 
the  letter  to  Levi,  who,  fearful  of  further  mis- 
understandings and  unpleasantnesses,  took  an 
unceremonious  departure  from  Bayreuth,  but  was 
recalled  en  route  by  a  telegram  and  a  letter  beg- 
ging him  "  to  pay  no  attention  to  such  nonsense, 
out  for  Heaven's  sake  come  back  and  get  really 
acquainted  with  us.  .  .  .  This  may,  perhaps, 
mean  an  entire  change  in  your  life  but  —  in  any 
case  —  you  are  my  'Parsifal'  conductor." 

And  again :  "  You  are  my  plenipotentiary,  my 
alter  ego  for  the  '  Parsifal '  performances  next 
year! 

One  of  the  young  musicians  who  had  allied 
himself  to  the  Wagnerian  cause  was  Engelbert 
Humperdinck,  who  was  chosen  to  perform  the 
duties  of  an  itinerant  coach  and  was  sent  about 
from  place  to  place  to  take  the  singers  through 


352     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

their  preliminary  studies  in  the  "  Parsifal  "  score. 
Wagner,  according  to  a  well-known  fashion  of 
his,  allowed  himself  many  liberties  with  Humper- 
dinck's  name,  writing  once  to  Levi: 

"  The  six  solo  Magic  Maidens  are  to  be  coached 
by  Humperting!  .  .  .  Have  you  a  score ?  If  not, 
you  can  get  one  from  Hump!  " 

The  preliminary  rehearsals  for  "  Parsifal ' 
took  place  in  the  summer  of  1881,  but  as  only 
one  work  was  to  be  gotten  ready  for  this  second 
Festival,  instead  of  the  four  composing  the  mam- 
moth musical  structure  of  the  "  Ring,"  a  month 
was  deemed  sufficient. 

Moreover,  during  the  six  years  that  had 
elapsed  since  the  first  Festival,  a  nucleus  of  com- 
petent artists  had  been  formed,  so  that  the  cast- 
ing of  the  various  roles  did  not  cause  the  same 
trouble  as  in  1(876;  in  fact,  there  was  no  diffi- 
culty in  securing  three  casts. 

Winkelmann,  Jager,  and  Gudehus  were  cast 
for  the  Parsifal;  Materna,  Marianne  Brandt,  and 
Therese  Malten  were  to  alternate  in  singing  the 


PARSIFAL  353 

Kundry;  Gumemanz  by  Emil  Scaria  and  Siehr ; 
Amfortas,  Reichmann  and  Beck;  Titurcl,  Kin- 
dermann;  Klingsor,  Hill  and  Fuchs;  and  Lilli 
Lehmann  as  the  leader  of  the  Flower  Maidens. 
The  chorus  was  composed  of  eighty-four  voices, 
and  in  addition  a  boys'  chorus  of  fifty  voices; 
the  orchestra,  under  Hermann  Levi,  was  com- 
posed of  a  hundred  and  five  players,  of  whom 
seventy-three  came  from  the  Royal  Opera  in 
Munich. 

Since  then  the  physiognomy  of  musical  Ger- 
many has  gone  through  material  modifications. 
Munich  no  more  sends  the  nucleus  of  the  orches- 
tra and  chorus,  as  the  increase  in  home  consump- 
tion resulting  from  the  inauguration  of  its  own 
Wagner  Festival  has  prevented  this  exportation. 

Instead  of  this,  Berlin,  one  of  the  last  cities 
to  recognise  ungrudgingly  the  greatness  of  the 
living  Wagner,  does  honour  to  the  dead  Prophet 
by  supplying  the  larger  part  of  the  Festival  per- 
sonnel. Dr.  Karl  Muck  has  succeeded  Hermann 
Levi  as  the  "  '  Parsifal '  plenipotentiary,"   and 


354     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

it  is  usually  the  fresh  young  voices  from  the 
Court  Church  in  Berlin  which  ring  out  so  pure 
and  true  from  the  cupola  of  the  Grail  Temple. 

Winkelmann,  the  creator  of  the  Parsifal,  who 
has  just  died  in  Vienna  at  the  age  of  sixty-three, 
in  some  rather  recent  reminiscences  of  the  "  Par- 
sifal "  period,  creates  a  very  vivid  picture  of 
Wagner's  magnetic  influence  upon  his  artists: 

'Anton  Seidl,  who  was  at  that  time  (1881) 
musical  director  in  Leipzig,  brought  about  a 
meeting  between  Wagner  and  myself.  Once 
when  I  was  singing  in  Leipzig,  he  asked  if  I 
would  have  the  courage  to  sing  Parsifal  in  Bay- 
reuth.  The  Festival  was  then  in  course  of  prep- 
aration. After  some  consideration  I  said  I  would, 
and  we  travelled  together  to  the  Mecca  of  the 
Prophet. 

"  Wagner  immediately  exercised  an  overpow- 
ering effect  upon  me.  I  can  see  him  standing 
before  me,  can  see  every  gesture,  his  facial  ex- 
pression, his  tremendous  enthusiasm  for  the  cause 
which  he  believed  to  be  a  holy  one.     I  can  hear 


PARSIFAL  355 

his  voice  as  he  spoke  to  me  long  and  convinc- 
ingly, and  asked  me  if  '  on  my  word  of  honour  ' 
I  really  felt  that  I  possessed  the  strength  neces- 
sary for  the  Parsifal. 

"  And  then  he  explained  to  me,  for  hours  at 
a  time,  the  content  of  his  work,  the  significance 
of  each  single  character,  of  every  scene,  and 
showed  me  the  connection  between  it  all. 

"  Richard  Wagner  was  of  a  truth  a  genuine 
revelation  for  the  artists  who  at  that  time  had 
not  yet  been  able  to  emancipate  themselves  from 
the  '  farce  '  of  expressing  themselves  by  mean- 
ingless poses  and  musical  violence. 

"  How  entirely  different  was  Wagner's  au- 
thority over  us;  he  was  not  contented  to  be 
merely  our  musical  director  and  stage  manager, 
but  was  our  adviser  and  teacher !  Wagner  hated 
every  pose  on  the  stage,  any  straining  after  ef- 
fect, every  disturbing  movement. 

"  He  used  to  say:  'the  acting  must  be  con- 
trolled by  the  intelligence!  *  '  Everything  must 
be  genuine,  sincere,  on  the  stage.' 


356     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

"  '  Do  you  think  you  are  in  a  theatre ! '  he 
cried  to  a  singer  who  was  making  the  most  im- 
possible gesticulations.  '  Those  are  swimming 
exercises,  no  human  gestures!  Anyone  who  is 
unnatural,  I  consider  as  my  enemy ! '  These  were 
some  of  his  dicta  from  the  '  Parsifal '  rehearsals 
.  .  .  What  iron  nerves,  what  incredible  energy, 
what  burning  enthusiasm!  That  was  a  glorious 
period!  " 

One  of  the  most  interesting  pictures  of  the 
"  Parsifal  "  period  is  "  An  Evening  in  the  Wahn- 
fried,"  representing  Wagner  in  the  midst  of  a 
select  circle  of  enthusiasts. 

The  Festival  was  on  a  firmer  financial  basis, 
thanks  to  Hans  von  Billow's  generous  gift  of 
forty  thousand  marks  and  another  ten  thousand 
from  Friedrich  Schon  of  Worms ;  and  Wagner's 
own  contribution,  leaving  quite  out  of  the  ques- 
tion his  gift  of  a  priceless  musical  legacy,  was 
the  sum  of  sixty  thousand  marks,  the  amount 
paid  for  the  "  Parsifal  "  score  by  the  publishing 
firm  of  Schott  and  Sons  in  Mayence. 


PARSIFAL  357 

The  first  "  Parsifal  "  Festival  took  place  in  the 
summer  of  1882  (July  26-August  29),  and  in 
spite  of  the  religious  character  of  the  content 
which  departed  so  radically  from  the  previous 
trend  of  the  Wagnerian  dramas,  there  was  an 
extraordinary  manifestation  of  interest  in  the 
work,  and  the  impression  created  by  it  was  a 
strong  and  lasting  one. 

This  new  revelation  of  a  supreme  poetic  and 
musical  genius,  together  with  the  magic  of  the 
mystic  consecration,  took  powerful  hold  upon  the 
listeners,  and  never  before  nor  since  has  a  the- 
atre been  the  scene  of  such  rare  and  genuine 
emotion. 

Tappert  writes :  "  A  nobler  and  more  beauti- 
ful legacy  than  this  Buhnenweihf  est  spiel  could 
not  have  been  left  us  by  the  Master.  In  the 
temple  of  the  Holy  Grail  we  were  all  moved  to 
hold  out  our  hands  in  reconciliation,  to  whatever 
religious  sect  we  belonged." 

It  was  the  second  time  that  Wagner's  patrons 
and  disciples  had  rallied  around  him  in  Bayreuth. 


358  THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

Was  he,  perhaps,  moved  by  a  strange  presenti- 
ment, when  during  the  last  performance  he  seized 
the  baton  in  the  third  act  and  directed  his  swan 
song  to  its  close? 

'Parsifal"  was  presented  under  quite  differ- 
ent circumstances  from  the  ill-fated  "  Ring  " ! 
Fourteen  performances  for  a  paying  public  had 
placed  it  on  a  firm  material  basis;  the  receipts 
exceeded  all  expectations,  and  covered  not  only 
all  expenses,  but  left  a  balance  of  six  thousand 
marks,  so  that  the  reserve  fund  of  fourteen  thou- 
sand marks  remained  untouched. 

With  confidence  the  Society  of  Patrons  could 
make  their  Festival  plans  for  the  following  and 
succeeding  years,  and  the  composer  could  look 
on  with  a  hitherto  unknown  degree  of  artistic 
assurance,  and  a  blessed  freedom  from  financial 
anxiety. 

The  fate  of  the  Bayreuth  Festival  was  assured, 
but  the  creator  of  the  Festival  was  not  to  live 
to  enjoy  his  triumph. 

A  few  months  after  the  white  dove  had  hov- 


PARSIFAL  359 

ered  over  the  head  of  "  Parsifal,"  another  mes- 
senger, this  time  a  sable-hued  one,  entered  the 
Palazzo  Vendramin  in  Venice  and  on  February 
13,  1883,  the  news  flashed  around  the  world: 
"  Richard  Wagner  is  dead! " 

He  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  garden  of  his  be- 
loved Wahnfried,  and  no  pilgrim  to  Bayreuth 
fails  to  pay  a  visit  of  reverent  homage  to  the 
last  resting-place  of  the  Master  of  Bayreuth. 

Richard  Wagner  needs  no  epitaph,  for  by  his 
works  he  is  known,  least  of  all  by  the  Epitaph ium 
which  he  wrote  in  a  moment  of  bitter  sarcasm 
in  the  year  1864,  just  when  the  horizon  of  his 
art  was  hung  so  heavy  with  clouds,  and  he  had 
no  prophetic  feeling  that  the  "  German  Prince  " 
whom  he  had  invoked  had  been  found,  and  was 
about  to  send  out  his  messenger  in  all  directions 
to  search  for  the  great  and  lonely  composer  and 
bring  him  to  his  court. 

Just  before  the  clouds  lifted,  Wagner  wrote 
this  earlier  epitaph  (only  recently  published  | 
which  ran  as  follows: 


360     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

'  Hier  liegt  Wagner,  der  nichts  geworden 
Nicht  einmal  Ritter  vom  humpigen  Orden ; 
Nicht  einen  Hund  hintern  Ofen  entlockt  er, 
Universitaten  nicht'mal  'nen  Dockter !  " 

That  the  idea  outlived  its  creator  is  a  proof 
not  only  of  the  essential  greatness  of  the  art 
work  itself,  but  of  the  growing  intelligence  of  the 
German  public  and  the  world  at  large  to  accept 
the  work  of  a  reformer  when  the  reformer  him- 
self was  dead  and  gone. 

The  legal  copyright  of  the  work  expires  in 
1913,  but  an  effort  is  being  made  by  the  friends 
of  the  Wagnerian  music  drama  to  have  this 
period  extended  by  a  special  act  of  the  Imperial 
Parliament. 

Should  this  measure  eventually  be  carried,  it 
would  be  convincing  proof  that  Germany  knows 
how  to  respect  the  musical  legacy  left  her  by  the 
greatest  and  most  genuinely  German  composer. 

It  would  however  be  erroneous  to  convey  the 
impression  that  the  family  at  Wahnf ried  and  the 
friends  of  the  Wagnerian  art  have  set  their  hearts 
and  hopes  upon  effecting  a  change  in  the  Ger- 


PARSIFAL  361 

man  copyright  laws,  which  should  serve  only 
the  interests  of  the  Wagnerian  music  dramas. 
On  the  contrary,  the  effort  is  being  made  to 
have  the  author's  copyright  in  general  extended 
from  thirty  to  fifty  years,  and  thus  avoid  the 
frequent  friction  arising  out  of  the  dissimilarity 
between  the  German  and  French  laws  —  as  in 
France  an  author's  works  are  already  protected 
for  fifty  years  after  his  death. 

The  fact  that  a  large  party  in  Germany  is 
strongly  opposed  to  violating  the  express  wish 
of  the  creator  of  "  Parsifal  "  leads  to  the  gen- 
eral belief  that,  even  should  the  copyright  not  be 
extended,  no  German  stage  of  any  repute  would 
venture  to  defy  the  public  opinion  to  the  extent 
of  including  "  Parsifal "  in  its  heterogeneous 
repertory. 

Wagner  at  many  times  and  in  many  places 
expressed  himself  in  terms  not  to  be  misunder- 
stood concerning  the  disposition  of  his  last  stage 
work,  but  never  more  convincingly  than  in 
a    letter    written    to   his    noble    friend    and    pa- 


362     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

tron,   King  Ludwig  of  Bavaria,   written   from 
Siena, 

"  Having  been  obliged  to  surrender  all  of  my 
works  so  ideally  conceived  to  the  theatres  and 
to  a  public  which  I  deem  so  deeply  ill  suited  for 
such  a  work,  I  now  ask  myself  the  serious  ques- 
tion, whether  I  should  not  at  least  preserve  this 
last  and  most  sacred  of  my  works  from  the  fate 
of  being  doomed  to  an  ordinary  operatic  career. 

"  In  the  mere  content  and  character  of  '  Par- 
sifal,' I  recognise  the  imperative  necessity  for 
no  longer  disregarding  such  a  decision.  In  fact, 
how  can  an  action,  into  which  the  most  sub- 
lime mysteries  of  the  Christian  faith  are  in- 
troduced, be  presented  in  theatres  like  ours,  be 
closely  associated  with  our  customary  operatic 
repertoire,  and  be  given  before  such  a  public  as 
assembles  there?  I  should  really  not  blame  our 
church  committees  if  they  took  a  firm  stand 
against  the  presentation  of  the  most  consecrated 
mysteries  on  the  stage  upon  which  yesterday  and 
to-morrow  frivolity  comfortably  disports  itself, 


PARSIFAL  363 

and   before   a   public    attracted    solely   by    such 
frivolity. 

"  Imbued  by  the  spirit,  I  called  my  '  Parsifal ' 
a  Buhnenweihfestspiel,  '  a  Festival  Play  for  the 
Consecration  of  the  Stage.' 

"  I  must  therefore  endeavour  to  consecrate  a 
stage  to  this  work,  and  this  can  only  be  my  iso- 
lated stage  Festival  House  in  Bayreuth. 

"  There  the  '  Parsifal '  is  to  be  given  for  all 
time  and  there  only;  never  is  the  '  Parsifal '  to 
be  presented  in  any  other  theatre,  nor  offered  any 
audience  as  a  mere  diversion."  * 

A  book  purporting  to  deal  with  the  historical 
and  artistic  development  of  the  Bayreuth  Idea  is 
not  the  proper  place  for  an  ethical  discussion  of 
the  "  Parsifal "  question  in  its  relation  to  other 
1  stages  and  other  audiences  from  those  for  which 
it  was  originally  designed.  And  yet  the  writer 
cannot  refrain  from  quoting  a  passage  from 
Wolfgang  Golther's  little  book  on  Bayreuth,  as 

1  This  letter  is  from  the  volume  "Richard  Wagner  to  His 
Friends  and  Contemporaries, "  and  appears  here  by  the  courtesy 
of  the  German  publishers,  Schuster  &  Loeffler  (Berlin). 


364     THE  BAYREUTH  LETTERS 

it  so  admirably  and  concisely  expresses  the  Ger- 
man attitude  toward  any  disturbance  of  Wag- 
ner's original  plan.  Golther  has  this  to  say: 
The  American  theft  of  the  grail,  and  the  ex- 
piration of  the  copyright  of  this  sacred  work, 
must  be  deplored  both  from  artistic  as  well  as 
moral  reasons.  The  release  of  the  '  Parsifal ' 
rights  is  unworthy  chaffering  with  something 
that  is  holy,  a  profanation  of  our  deepest  and 
tenderest  religious  sentiments,  a  source  of  end- 
less errors  and  misunderstandings,  a  misinter- 
pretation of  the  purest  principles  of  art,  a  sin 
against  the  Holy  Ghost  of  German  art,  and  an 
act  of  the  greatest  irreverence  against  the  last 
wish  of  our  great  Master." 


University  of  California  Library 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


QUARTER  LOAN 

(OCT  16  1995 
KEC'D  WUIB 

AHK  141995 


315 


UCLA  -  Music  Library 

ML410W1A32E 


L  007  028  241   3 


MUS\C 


ft) 

"/V1A32E 


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